(Edit: sorry, like I said, I'm pretty fried. I'll read the FAQs first)
(Edit 2: okay, no longer sorry, the FAQ doesn't answer my question and the only link in it that might be related is a 404)

Hi, sorry if this comes off as incoherent, I was up all night working and could really use some shuteye.

IANAL, or a game dev, so I don't know how the legal stuff works. Let's say I come up with a great storyline, general design, and what I think is a killer title, the kind someone might be inclined to "borrow" if I'm not protected. Now, I really don't care if someone steals ideas from me. Imitation, flattery, and all that. Plus, I like my ideas, generally speaking, so I wouldn't mind seeing them realized, even if it's not me doing the realizing. I digress; I'm just trying to say that I'm not uptight about this kind of stuff, much less think anyone actually wants to swipe my ideas.

But I don't want to find out that I can't use my own ideas because someone used them first, either.

So, how would I "register" my work so I have it on record that it's original and not "derivative," to use the legalese.

Or, what if I come up with a title independently, only to find out its been used, but in an otherwise unrelated work (including video games)? The more I think about it, the more I suspect this could be the case - it's not a terribly original name, just an apt/catchy one.