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The Curious Bag
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Copyrights protect the tangible expression of an idea or system. Protection begins the moment a work is established in its final form. Copyrights are available for both published and unpublished works. Only the author or those deriving rights from the author can claim copyright.
Protection
It is illegal for anyone to violate the rights afforded by copyright law to the author or creator of a work. However, the "fair use" doctrine allows limited use by others of portions of the copyrighted material.
Duration
For works created after Jan. 1, 1978, copyright protection endures 70 years beyond the death of the author or last remaining author. Prior to 1978, copyright protection was good for 28 years from inception. In 1947, that was extended to 47 years.
Registration
Copyright registration is not required. Its purpose is to create a public record of your work in the event of a lawsuit.
Fees
The fee to register a copyright as of November 2009 is $35 for an online filing of a basic claim of authorship and $50 for filing a paper copy for a claim.
Eligibility
Copyrightable works must contain original authorship and be in a tangible form. Literary musical and dramatic works, recordings, original art and motion pictures are examples of copyrightable works.
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