Disclaimer: I am not a Lawyer...yet (just in law school)

But more and more college professors are using paper checking services to catch cheating. As far as that is concerned, it is understandable, but what I do not like is my material being submitted to databases for future reference. No mater what your professor may like to claim, if you write it, it's your copyright (providing you are not infriniging on others rights) So make sure you always document and cite your sources correctly.

Some professors, and even schools now, are wording it into their agreements that you must allow professors or the insistution do whatever they wish with the work. Read all such fine print carefully and never just sign on the dotted line. If you need a couple days to read it over, they may not like it, but they have to grant it. (If not, there could be serious doubt to the contract's validity and "good faith" of such a contract)

Here is something that some of us have begun doing to our papers: creating a footer on everypage that reads:

Copyright © 2006 By YOUR NAME.
This material may not be copied or transmited in any form, including electronically, without express written permission of the Author.

What does this mean? Well simple, EVEN THE ACT OF TRANSMITTING THE PAPER TO CHECK IT IN is in violation of the terms of copyright.

Now I don't support plagurizing at all, but at the same time I have more of a problem with others submitting my works to outside sources without asking.

So if your professor is in love with said service, and they never made you sign anything in the syllbus...use it...see what they do...

That's a pretty good idea. I don't really care if my teachers put my stuff on turnitin.com Or check it anyway. Sort of makes me laugh especially because when it shows up that it wasn't copied, it's a waste of their time in the end. The sad thing is that they have had to start doing that because of all the plagiarizing in the world because people are too lazy to actually think. But there really isn't anything that can be done. I'll have to try that though to see what happens, they will probably then say that they have even more reason to believe that it isn't your own work if you don't want them checking it but if they finally do they'll once again be wasting their time.

Wouldn't putting copyright on you papers slow down the entire system immensly?
I think you should consider the purpose of the paper. If it is ment to make you learn something, or to show you have learned something the past year, yes well, it wouldn't be an effective way to educate when one has to keep mind of the copyright. The teachers can't ask for others to help, and then send it to them, he can't just use the antifraud software.
It's not unfair you demand a copyright for your stuff, but it's imho an act that counters the educational system a bit.

it doesnt work that way, you have to apply for a copyright. and you are not guaranteed one either. so putting a copyright on your paper is falsely stating that it is copyritten. you could however say that it is pending, but you cant say you have a copyright on it, you could get in more trouble than if they caught you cheating.