How Do Copyrights Work
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Registration
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There are two common myths about copyrights. One is that registration is required. This is not the case. The US Copyright Office recommends registration for two reasons. First, registration legally documents the authorship and date of the work, making it possible to take legal action against anyone who infringes on the copyright. Second, once a work is registered, it is much easier to license, sell or arrange royalty agreements. The second misconception is what is called the "poor man's copyright." The idea is that by mailing a copy of the work to yourself, you establish by the postmark and delivery the date and authorship of the work. The US Copyright Office says that there is no law or court precedent for this.
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Like any other property, copyrights may be sold or transferred to another party. If the creator of the work chooses to retain his/her rights, the copyright is good for life plus 70 years. At that point the work enters the public domain (the creator may place a work in the public domain at any time voluntarily). This means that the work is then "owned by the public and may be copied by anyone." The United States has copyright agreements with most other countries, but not all. Normally, any nation with such an agreement with the United States will honor a US copyright, but it may be necessary to obtain a specific copyright from other countries.
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