Protecting Your Work with Copyrights
Copyrights start in the U.S. Constitution, Article I Section 8. Copyrights protect your work from imitators and duplicators. Copyright arises upon creation of a work such as a document, book, sound recording, software program in object code or source code, film, sculpture, architectural plans, and the like. Enforcement of a copyright though requires registration of the copyright, 17 U.S.C. 411. Do not sell yourself short by avoiding copyright registration.
Asserting a copyright calls for placement of a copyright notice upon the work. The notice generally includes COPYRIGHT Your Name The Year. Copyright may apply to published and unpublished works. Obtaining a federal copyright registration calls for application to the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. The Copyright Office has strict regulations that govern the format of its applications and samples of works.
For a copyright application, we encourage you to assemble two copies of your work and your birth year. View and Download Record of Copyright, and then call us at 636.527.9962 to begin a copyright application.