Regarding this: [link] that everyone keeps freaking out over. Oh come ON people. If you don't want your stuff stolen than make sure you don't abandon your website or orphan your works! Make sure you're easy to contact or track down and you shouldn't have a problem! Eeesh, I see this panic sweeping over the net which is probably started mostly by people who don't understand copyright laws. I know I'm no expert, but I'm personally not really that bothered.

Edit: For those who are not familiar with copyright law, this is copied from [link] (the official copyright office website for the US) please click the links to find the appropriate forms and suchlike!

Visual Art Works

Follow these steps to register your pictorial, graphic, sculptural, or architectural work:

Step 1

Make sure your work is a visual arts work. Visual arts are pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works of fine, graphic, and applied art. Here are examples of visual arts. "Useful articles" may have both copyrightable and noncopyrightable features (read details). Some architectural works also qualify as visual arts works (read details).

Step 2

Put into one envelope or package:

* a completed application Form VA and Form CON if needed.
* a $30 payment to "Register of Copyrights."
* nonreturnable copy(ies) of the material to be registered. Read details on deposit requirements.

Please read this important notice about mail delivery disruption.

Step 3

Send the package to:

Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

Your registration becomes effective on the day that the Copyright Office receives your application, payment, and copy(ies) in acceptable form. If your submission is in order, you will receive a certificate of registration in approximately 6 months." (Note: We are currently experiencing processing delays.)"

For more details, please see Circular 40, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts; Circular 40a, Deposit Requirements in Visual Arts Material; Circular 41, Copyright Claims in Architectural Works; Circular 44, Cartoons and Comic Strips and other informational circulars.

U.S. Copyright Office
101 Independence Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
(202) 707-3000

Revised: 10-Apr-2008