Is copyright protection automatic?

The short answer is no, copyright protection is not automatic. In the United States, and in California specifically, copyright protection is not automatic and must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to be enforced. To be entitled to copyright protection, works must meet the US Copyright Law’s requirements. Generally speaking, the law of copyright protects “original works of authorship” that have been fixed in a tangible form. Such works are often referred to as “original works” and can include literary works such as books and articles, as well as artwork, music and recordings, photographs, and other creative works. Copyright protection attaches to a work once it is created, and it is a form of intellectual property. However, in order to enforce copyright protection, the copyright must be registered with the US Copyright Office. Once registered, the copyright gives the owner the right to prevent others from legally reproducing, displaying, or creating derivative works based on the original work. The registration of a copyright is not required for the protection of intellectual property in California. However, if the copyright is registered, the owner may have the ability to file suit against someone who has infringed upon their copyright, as well as recover damages, or receive an injunction or statutory damages. In addition, registering a copyright is often required in order to pursue infringement of the copyright.

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