Houdini your way toward a copyright
Harry Houdini is known for many things other than his outstanding magic performances. His trick, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, was completely unique, and he was afraid that someone would steal it from him. He couldn’t apply for a patent since 1) you can’t patent magic tricks, and 2) if you could, you’d have to reveal the trick.
But Houdini found a different way of securing his magical property. He performed the trick for a single audience member then immediately filed to have the act copyrighted. So, for the remainder of his life plus seven decades, he was free to do the act without worrying that others could copy it.