Protecting Your Intellectual Property

I was discussing uni assignments with my school principal the other day when I happened to mention that a fellow student had commented on the possibility that the information in our assignments may be used in some way by supervisors/markers in the writing of professional papers/publications.  My school principal, who is also studying, said he always puts the little copyright symbol, year date and his name at the bottom of each assignment page for that purpose.  With or without the copyright symbol your assignment is your intellectual property but it cannot hurt to remind all readers of the fact.