Quote:
Originally Posted by carld
What happened to the idea that you automatically gain copyright at creation? Isn't that contained in copyright law any longer?
As I understood it, you only needed to register your copyright if you wanted to claim damages against someone. You still retain copyright as the creator. Has that changed?
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Hasn't changed. You have copyright the moment you set a copyright-able work in tangeble form.
The "filing for copyright" people are referring to should be "register a copyright."
And, by the way, here's another blurb from the same US Copyright Office FAQ linked above.
Note the last line (emphasis added):
"What is the difference between mandatory deposit and copyright registration?
Mandatory deposit (17 U.S.C. section 407) requires the owner of copyright or the exclusive right of distribution to deposit in the Copyright Office for the use of the Library of Congress two complete copies of the best edition within 3 months after a work is published. Section 408 of the copyright law, for a fee, provides the option to formally register the work with the U.S. Copyright Office. This registration process provides a legal record of copyright ownership as well as additional legal benefits in cases of infringement.
Optional registration fulfills mandatory deposit requirements. "
ApK