In the United States, at least, if you're the original creator of something, copyright to that work gets assigned to you automatically when you create it (see h

In the United States, at least, if you're the original creator of something, copyright to that work gets assigned to you automatically when you create it (see https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#mywork https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#mywork). So if someone uses that work without your permission. you have a theoretical legal complaint against them. Actually pursuing that complaint can be difficult and expensive, though, which is what serial plagiarists like FJ depend on.