<> First, I am not a lawyer. If you really want solid advice that you can approach a court with some measure of confidence with, consult an attorney who is a SPECIALIST IN COPYRIGHT LAW! Don't just ask any Tom, Dick, or Barry who happens to have an LLD. I've seen nearly as much nonsense spouting from non-specialist lawyers regarding copyright law as I see on D&D newsgroups. My statements are an opinion of as a citizen of the USA and are not to be construed as the "practice of law", either by comission or omission. Shooby-doo wop, ba-dow. I have already quoted relevant portions of US copyright code (which is essentially identical in this particular instance to the Berne Accord on Intellectual Properties) in another thread here. Summary of the law, as on the books: Copyright exists from the moment a work is created. "Created" is defined in an EXTREMELY broad fashion, so that a "work in progress" is still considered to be "created" for the purpose of copyright law. With the exception of two South American countries that are not signatory to the Berne Accord, there is NO NEED AT ALL for a specific claim of rights to appear on a copyrighted work aside from the appropriate general copyright claim. That is, the law does NOT require that one explicitly rescind permission to distribute. Copyright automatically gives an exclusive distribution license to the copyright holder. The holder is free to designate agents or even surrender that right in toto. Now, this is the law. The reality is that copyright is usually a civil matter unless money changes hands, at which point it becomes a criminal matter. Civil matters are only pursued at the behest of a plaintiff, costs accrued to the plaintiff, but possibly transferrable to defendant upon award of settlement. The fact that this means that people without money cannot defend their copyright in no way means that people who willfully violate copyright are any less the miserable dogs they are, deserving of exclusion from all decent society. Indeed, it makes such people all the worse--it makes them cowards and bullies, only picking upon those who cannot adequately defend themselves. However, for there to be willful violation, there must be knowing violation. Ignorant operation in violation of copyright, while illegal, is morally less reprehensible and can likely be better handled via private gentlemanly communication.