[LINK] DCMA note (was democracy after it was Al-Jazeera)

[Chirgwin, Richard]

I stand partly corrected, Brendan. 
> You don't need to register copyright in the US (any more).
No, but the courts look to registration as the primary evidence. The
copyright office's Website in the US says:
>Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, registration 
>is necessary for works of U. S. origin.

So OK, I was sloppy but not entirely wrong! :-)

> Also, copyright is a statutory monopoly in Australia, not a 
> "common law
> right" per Donaldson v Beckett (1774)

Oops. OK, I'll take the lawyer's word on that!

> the US
> government doesn't claim copyright over material that has 
> been produced
> with taxpayer dollars.

Ok; but there are reasons for claiming copyright that don't have to do with
claiming money, merely a requirement to associate a document with its
author.

Richard Chirgwin