What is a copyright ?

A copyright protects creative works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible form. A copyright gives its owner the right to control how that work is used, including the right to reproduce the work and make derivative forms of it. A work is protected the moment it is produced in tangible form. Only works that are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office are entitled to full protection. Registering your copyright to a work is a straightforward process. You have to fill out a form, attach a copy of the work and pay the registration fee (as of 10/2000 = $30. You can go to the U.S. governments Copyright Office's web site to get the appropriate form.