Go ahead. Convince me otherwise.... PLEASE! :P

In the United States, copyright has relatively recently been made automatic, which has had the effect of making it more like a property right. Thus, as with property, a copyright need not be granted or obtained through official registration with the government. Once an idea has been reduced to tangible form, for example by securing it in a fixed medium (such as a drawing, sheet music, photograph, a videotape or a letter), the copyright holder is entitled to enforce his or her exclusive rights.

I'm in the United States, buddy boy. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

If anyone is wondering why he posted this, it is because we have been fighting about copyright rights

It makes for a good debate too :P

IM having a simaler debate over on XRCT forums, A guy is telling me i shouldnt be using the umbrella logo in my park, Now im all up for comments and constructive critisum, but this guy seems to just have it in for me. I said to him if your going to maon at me about the images i use than why not have ago at everyone else that uses logos of the net?

Personaly I just think "well if they dont want us to use them, why are they so widely avalible?"

Thats like saying i cant use all the brandnames i use in my park, and ive used loads.I cant actually see things being automatically copyrighted once there on the net.If it is, thats a whole load of paperwork for some poor S?D to do.

Hmmmm, id say it is automatically copyrighted to some extent, but not fullly copyrighted, if ya get me!

Great answer i know :P

so does that mean everytime we use the good old copy and paste buttons, we're infringing on copyright laws? then surely that'd mean just about every person who has internet access is in breach of it... the police'll come knocking for us all soon!

I always thought true copyright status had to be paid for?

Thats what I thought too mstokesy... I'm just down right confused now

? I dunno, I think both ways are true.

IM having a simaler debate over on XRCT forums, A guy is telling me i shouldnt be using the umbrella logo in my park

While using the logo is illegal, everyone does it, and as such, none of the companies are really bothered by it, unless your names Atari, who really have it in for my website

In short, most companies dont really mind, as long as you mention somehwhere thats it's not copyrighted by you, then on the otherhand, some don't like you even doing that, and decide to make an example of it.

So, I am not sure anymore....