3 ms·

I thought everything is copyrighted by default, but in the US at least if you don't register it limits your legal remedies somewhat (no mandatory minimums and s

• JohnFen 4y ago
  Here's the summary of how my attorney explained it (IANAL, obviously, and may be misremembering, so consult your own attorney). In the US, copyright is a thing that applies the moment you have put a work into a fixed, tangible form. Actual publication is not required. If your work is copied, you can sue. But if you register it, you have some additional power and -- perhaps most importantly -- you don't have to worry about a court fight over when the copyright term began. A registered copyright began at the date in the copyright registration. There can be no argument about that. Some of the other benefits... if you register your copyright, you can sue for statutory damages rather than having to demonstrate actual damages and you gain the ability to recover legal expenses.