Copyrights FAQs

The way in which copyright protection is secured is frequently misunderstood. Copyright is secured automatically when a work is created. A work is “created” when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time. For example, a song (the “work”) can be fixed in sheet music (“copies”), phonograph disks (“phonorecords”) or both. No publication, registration or other action in the Copyright Office is required to secure copyright. There are, however, definite advantages to registration.