What does an author have to do to obtain copyright protection for his or her work?
Absolutely nothing! Under the present Copyright Act, copyright protection begins automatically upon creation of a work, and the work is “created” when it is fixed in a tangible medium for the first time. The work does not have to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, nor does it have to carry a copyright notice. Both are advisable, however. See Questions 7-9 below.
