What is a copyright?
A copyright is a legal right to exclude, or prevent, others from copying your work. It protects only the artistic expressions in a work, it does not extend to mere ideas, or functional items.

When can I get a copyright?
Copyright protection attaches automatically whenever you put expressive content into a fixed medium of expression. A fixed medium is basically any format that you can access, or look at again over time.

Then why REGISTER my copyright?

Registering a copyright has some distinct advantages.

1. It enables you to sue an infringer in federal court.

2. It entitles you to attorney’s fees if you prevail in court. The cost of registering is therefore cheap insurance if you don't have thousands of dollars available for an attorney. It can also put pressure on a defendant who knows their bills will only get larger if they try to stall the lawsuit.

3. It gives you presumptive proof that the work is yours, and not the defendant's. Otherwise you would have to prove you created the work, which can be difficult in some cases.

4. It entitles you to statutory damages that can reach as high as $150,000 for each time your work was infringed. It also opens up the possibility of criminal sanctions that include steep penalties.