I'm gonna vent here too
I'm not trying to piss anyone off here but in order for you to protect your stuff then you must register it and pay the fees with the U.S. copyright office in order to have a claim.
see below from the U.S. copyright office.
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While copyright in the United States automatically attachés upon the creation of an original work of authorship, registration with the Copyright Office puts a copyright holder in a better position if litigation arises over the copyright. A copyright holder desiring to register his or her copyright should do the following:
- Obtain and complete appropriate form.
- Prepare clear rendition of material being submitted for copyright.
- Send both documents to U.S. Copyright Office in Washington, D.C.
Registration of copyright refers to the act of registering the work with the United States Copyright Office, which is an office of the
Library of Congress. As the United States has joined the Berne Convention, registration is no longer necessary to provide copyright protection. However, registration is still necessary to obtain
statutory damages in case of infringement.
Copyright Act § 407 provides that the owner of copyright in a published or unpublished work may, at any time during the copyright, register the work with the Copyright Office. The purpose of the registration provisions is to create as comprehensive a record of U.S. copyright claims as is possible. To register, the registrant must complete an application form and send it, along with the filing fee and copies or phonorecords of the work, to the Copyright Office.
The Copyright Office reviews applications for obvious errors or lack of copyright able subject matter, and then issues a certificate of registration.
Registration as a prerequisite to claim of moral rights violation: it's not necessary for any author to register prior to bringing suit for violation of the rights of attribution or integrity in a work of visual art, pursuant to Copyright Act § 106A.
Deposit requirement
The United States Copyright Office requires that applicants for registration must deposit with that office copies of the work for which protection is sought. This requirement serves two purposes. First, if an action arises from the infringement of the work, the owner may prove that the material that is infringed is exactly the same material for which the owner has secured a registration. Second, this requirement assists the Library of Congress in building its collection of works.
The Copyright Office has authority to make some exceptions to this rule by regulation, and has done so. Failure to comply with the deposit requirement, as modified by Copyright Office regulations, is punishable by fine, but does not result in forfeiture of copyright.
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Basically if you don't pay the government then good luck proving it was yours in the first place because the courts are all about proof and paperwork, been there done that.
Like I said before-not trying to piss anyone off but the law is the law!
So if it's not your creation then don't take credit for it!!!
Ask before you upload and get permission first!!
It saves time and trouble for everyone!!
Welcome to the United States of paper work and fees.