I am the staff for Lawyers Forum on Compuserve. An attorny member
who specializes in intellectual property law has a FAQ he sends out
when this question arises. Basically he says that no formal action is
needed to own the copyright on something you write but that if you
wish a ceremony, hold the document up and say solemnly, "I copyright
thee." His point is that there is a good bit of difference between
merely posessing the copyright and being able to do something about
it.
Much of what's being discussed here is really about some area of
the law other than copyright.
For instance David's concern about vets on Poodle-L posting
material that is then lifted and posted elsewhere with a subsequent
harm to an animal is really about the illegal practice of veterinary
medicine by the person who posts the advice elsewhere. Copyright has
nothing to do with it.
Eric Johnson
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