U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to promote the progress of science and useful arts. by securing for limited times to authors and inventors. This lead to the Copyright Act of 1976 which defines any works associated with a machine or device. There are stiff penalties for copyright infringements including copyright infringements and criminal violations. You do not need to register a copyright, but if someones infringes on your copyright, registering it will give you more protection. Copyright violations can hurt an industry, like the music industry, and we all suffer by the lost of jobs and effect it has on our economy. To get more information about Copyrights, go to the Copyright Office Website at http://www.loc.gov/copyright. --------------------------------- Yahoo! for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.