What - protection against someone copying your material without your permission.

     - material protected is any writing, artistic work, music compositions,  photographs, sculptures, and the like.

     - it is how the material is expressed which is protected, not the subject matter of the material.

FOR EXAMPLE: If you describe a new camera and how it works, unless you have filed a patent application describing the new camera, you have only protected the words you have used in the order you have used them; that is, your expression of the camera, not the camera itself and anyone may make, use, or sell that camera. In fact, others may also describe the camera in their own words after having read your description. If you obtained a trademark for the camera, others could not use your trademark to describe the camera. If you obtained a patent for the camera, others could not make, use, or sell the camera as patented.

Copyright Process:

- THIS IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROCESS WHICH YOU CAN DO

- obtain the appropriate form from the U.S. Copyright Office, fill it out, and mail it to the Copyright Office. Include copies of the material for which you seek copyright registration and the registration fee.

- two of the most common registrations are for written material and for artwork.

Use Form TX for written material

Use Form VA for artwork

Link to the U.S. Copyright Office

Send an e-mail to APT