Copyright

A copyright, as defined by Wikipedia is "A set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. At its most general, it is literally "the right to copy" an original creation. In most cases, these rights are of limited duration. The symbol for copyright is ©, and in some jurisdictions may alternatively be written as either (c) or (C)." Copyright is understood to be present by default on any original work, however, it is a generally accepted practice (though no longer law) that one place a copyright statement on all copyrighted works. Not all works may be copyrighted, but the majority of work covered under the generall term "intellectual property" can be. To hold a copyright litterally means that you have been granted the right to make, produce, sell, or otherwise distribute copies of the given work. This means that it does not protect you from imitation so long as it is not the direct derivative of your work or idea.

Notification of copyright requires three things, first: either the copyright symbol "©" (not (c) ), or the abbreviation "Copr." or the word "Copyright" followed by the year of first publication and the name of the holder. Notification is however, not required under the laws set down by the Berne Convention in an ammendment of the 1976 Copyright Act.

For more information see:

http://www.copyright.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright