No. In the US that requirement was changed in 1989
If you created it, you hold the copyright. To help enforce that right, you should clearly mark the item as being copyrighted. To bring a lawsuit, you will have to copyright the item through official channels through the Copyright Officer of the US Government.
After copyright term has expired, materials enter the public domain.
Not since 1978.
Copyright, actually just means that the rights to copy and produce the said item (book, song, movie, painting, etc.) belongs to the owner, or the 'Copyright Holder'. So in the simplest terms, Copyright stnds for the right to copy and re-produce said item. Copyright, actually just means that the rights to copy and produce the said item (book, song, movie, painting, etc.) belongs to the owner, or the 'Copyright Holder'. So in the simplest terms, Copyright stnds for the right to copy and re-produce said item.
One must apply to the copyright holder for permisson to use their copyrighted item.
Absolutely; however the majority of uses require permission from the copyright holder.
Not since 1978.
This is called a copyright assignment or transfer of copyright ownership.
No. Since 1989, when copyright law was amended to bring it into alignment with the Berne Copyright Convention, it is no longer necessary for a copyright symbol to be displayed to establish or maintain protection. Copyright exists from the moment you create an original work, and that can be something as simple as a photo of your child.
No; that is a myth.
Not necessarily. It's the year the item was copyrighted, which may be different than when it was actually made.