Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.
Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.
The following intellectual works can be copyrighted:
Registration of copyright is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. However, you should register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office so that in the case someone infringes on your copyright, you can bring a lawsuit to protect your work. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. If registration occurs within five years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration.
Where
do you register a copyright? Register your copyright at the U.S.
Copyright Office. You can register online or via mail:
Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
What is the registration fee?The current fee is $30 per application. Generally, each work requires a separate application.
How long does the registration process take? The time the Copyright Office requires to process an application varies, depending on the amount of material the office is receiving. If your application is in order, you may generally expect to receive a certificate of registration within approximately four to five months of submission.
What does mandatory deposit mean? Copies of all works under copyright protection that have been published in the United States are required to be deposited with the Copyright Office within three months of the date of first publication.
For more information about copyrights, visit the U.S. Copyright Web site.