STEP 1: Determine whether you have a copyright.

WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT?

• According to the copyright laws of the United States of America, a copyright is anything fixed in a tangible medium of expression. In other words, you own the copyright in an idea once you have expressed it in some way. For example, if you have a great idea for a story, as soon as you type your story into the computer, you own a copyright in your story. Further, if you have a great idea for a computer program, as soon as you have written the program on paper on entered it into a computer, you own a copyright in your program.
• Copyright is best suited to expressions of ideas. Typical types of copyrightable subject matter include books, computer programs, photographs, sculptures, musical scores, forms, paintings, pictures, and architectural plans.