No, as long as you don't try to sell it or anything. Stuff like giving it to your friend for a dollar and things like that are ok. Otherwise we'd have a problem every time someone sewed together a character doll and such.
No. In the US that requirement was changed in 1989
If you created it, you hold the copyright. To help enforce that right, you should clearly mark the item as being copyrighted. To bring a lawsuit, you will have to copyright the item through official channels through the Copyright Officer of the US Government.
Works no longer protected by copyright are said to be in the public domain.
no but you can buy an item
After copyright term has expired, materials enter the public domain.
Copyright exists in an item as soon as it is rendered into "permanent" form. The copyright symbol (©) is not needed, although placing it does give the copyright owner an easier time when trying to legally enforce a copyright infringement claim in the US. Before 1978, the symbol was needed to establish copyright under US law. Before about 1960, if you neglected to include the copyright symbol in a published work, it went immediately to the Public Domain. After about 1960, there was a way to remedy that defect, but anything published without the copyright symbol in the US before then was and is free to anyone to use as they see fit.
No. If an image is trademarked for anything, you need specific permission from the owner of the image in order to use it. No matter what you use the image for, the owner of the image can still sue you for copyright infringement (I've seen it happen).
Not since 1978.
If what you're offering to sell on eBay (or anywhere else) is an unlawfully made copy of copyrighted materials, then offering to sell it is an infringement of the copyright owner's exclusive right to sell copies to the public. The so-called "first sale doctrine" (e.g., in the USA, 17 USC 109) does not apply to illegal copies.
To copyright a short story, you can simply create the work and it is automatically protected by copyright law upon creation. However, if you want to register the copyright officially, you can do so with the U.S. Copyright Office by submitting the necessary forms and fee. It's a good idea to keep records of when the story was created and by whom to help prove ownership if needed.
Copyright, actually just means that the rights to copy and produce the said item (book, song, movie, painting, etc.) belongs to the owner, or the 'Copyright Holder'. So in the simplest terms, Copyright stnds for the right to copy and re-produce said item. Copyright, actually just means that the rights to copy and produce the said item (book, song, movie, painting, etc.) belongs to the owner, or the 'Copyright Holder'. So in the simplest terms, Copyright stnds for the right to copy and re-produce said item.
One must apply to the copyright holder for permisson to use their copyrighted item.