USA Copyright

Know your own country's copyright legislation

Through my research I have found that many countries have organizations that helpfully explain the legislation in plain English, along with answers to frequently asked questions, so be sure to research these thoroughly. Although these organisations can help, it would be useful to know the basics of the legislation covering copyright in your country first so you have an idea of what you need to start with.  

The following provides a general round-up to help you get started if you are a citizen of the USA:

United States of America: US copyright law can be found in various pieces of legislation dealing with copyright and responsibility for the administrative aspects of copyright law rests with the United States Copyright Office, whose website can be found at: http://www.copyright.gov/.

Remember this is YOUR work and you do not want anyone else taking the credit for it so the first thing you should do when you finish a piece of work is copyright it straight away to avoid any problems in the future, when your work is published.