An author is protected by copyright law as soon as a work is recorded in some concrete fashion. Protection for a work created under the current law begins at its creation and lasts during the lifetime of the author plus 50 years. The prior 1909 Copyright Act established an initial term of 28 years, renewable for an additional 28 years. Under the current law, in cases where the work is jointly created by two or more authors, the copyright endures for the life of the last surviving author, and for an additional 50 years after that author's death. Limited edition visual works are entitled to additional rights of attribution and integrity.
Foreign protection is also available to U.S. authors.
The U.S. participates in several international agreements whereby reciprocal protection is provided with certain foreign countries. The most significant treaty, the Berne Convention, requires member countries to recognize copyright protection for works by U.S. authors. The creator of a work is the owner of the copyright. However, in order to preserve and protect the ownership interest, the copyright owner should include an appropriate copyright notice on all copies of the work to protect against innocent infringement. Although no notice is required for initial protection, copyright notice may be required to prevent an infringer from raising the defense that the work was innocently copied.