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In order to claim a copyright, you must have created the work and have a desire or need to protect it from theft or misuse by others. You might have written a book or a poem, created a song or song lyrics, or created another type of work, such as a research thesis, Web page, a publication, or something similar. Editors, writers, photographers, musicians, and publishing companies are deeply involved in copyrighting, as it provides a means to protect their intellectual property.
Your work must be original. You cannot copyright someone else’s work. The work must be tangible, too, meaning it can be written, copied, printed, and distributed. You cannot claim a copyright if your “work of expression” is an idea, theory, or simply information you’ve amassed. Some works are simply outside the realm of a copyright, such as court decisions, numbers and alphabets, laws created by lawmakers, and names in a telephone book. Remember, you have to create the work, and it has to be a work of creative expression.
For more information read: The Steps Involved in Applying for a Copyright
