Klarinet Archive - Posting 000744.txt from 1998/10

From: "John F. Clark" <jclark@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] copyright
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 09:40:10 -0400

Hello, folks -- I'm drawn out of my lurking by a topic about which I
actually know something, unlike many others discussed on this list, where I
am strictly in a learning mode.

Any work of your own creation, as soon as it is in a tangible medium of
expression, is protected by copyright. You may put a copyright notice on
it or not -- it makes no difference. Additionally, there is absolutely no
danger of it falling under public domain simply because you didn't put a
notice on it.
One more myth to blow up: mailing a copy of your work to yourself is of no
legal value. The assumption of the court is that it's too easy to tamper
with envelopes, especially if there is big money at stake. In other words,
there is no way to demonstrate sufficient security to insure the validity
of the date and the content.

With that said, it is important for you to register your copyright with the
U.S. Copyright Office (a department of the Library of Congress). Just
because the copyright is yours doesn't mean that you won't have to fight
somebody for it. These battles are going on every day in courts all across
the country. If your copyright is not registered, or there are other
ambiguities, then you have to have lawyers try to prove your case in court
based on whatever evidence you can muster.

It's a pretty easy process. Check out the website at:

<http://www.loc.gov/copyright/forms>

Later, JFC

John F. Clark jclark@-----.edu
College Technology Coordinator
College of Communications and Information Studies
121 Grehan Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0042
PH: (606)257-2810 FAX: (606)257-7818

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