Copyright protection exists from the time the original work has been
created in some fixed format and immediately becomes the possession of
the author/creator of the work. According to Circular 1 from the US Copyright
Office, these formats include the following: "(1) literary works; (2) musical
works, including any accompanying words (3) dramatic works, including any accompanying
music (4) pantomimes and choreographic works (5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works (7) sound recordings [and] (8)
architectural works".
Ownership does not have to be registered and, furthermore, conveys exclusive rights to the
copyright holder. According to West's Encyclopedia of American Law, these
rights include reproducing or copying the work, making new derivative works from the
original copyright, distributing the work, performing the work, or displaying the
work. (3: 241).
Persistent
link to online copyright article from West's Encyclopedia of
American Law, 2005 edition.
