The copyright law provides a relatively straight forward and inexpensive means of deterring others from profiting from the author's work without first obtaining the author or his assignee's permission. In sum, four basic points can be made about copyright protection.

First, most original works of art qualify for copyright protection. Second, copyright protection is automatic from the moment the work is fixed in a tangible form. Third, providing copyright notice on the work eliminates any defense of innocent infringement which an infringer might otherwise have had, thus increasing the amount of monetary compensation the owner may obtain from the infringer, either in settlement or by court action. Lastly, registration of the copyrighted work is not necessary, but it is advantageous. In most cases, registration is a prerequisite to filing suit for copyright infringement.

An appendix is provided immediately following this text. Appendix A asks and answers some of the most commonly asked question about copyright law. Probably the most important point to remember is that although copyright protection is automatic, full benefit of the rights and remedies provided under the copyright laws are available only to those who place the proper notice of copyright on their work and to those who register their copyright within three months after first publication.