Copyrights provide protection for literary, artistic and musical works. Copyrights come into existence upon creation of the work. Creation is defined as when the work is “fixed in a tangible medium.” This definition means that the work is in some type of permanent form, i.e., on paper, computer hard drive, cassette tape, etc. The filing of the copyright application with the Copyright Office acts to register your existing copyrights. Substantial advantages are provided from registration, including the possibility of receiving attorney fees and statutory damages in the event of infringement of the previously registered copyright. Additionally, in most instances a copyright infringement action cannot be brought by the copyright owner until the work has been registered with the United States Copyright Office.