How do I obtain copyright ?

As the creator you automatically obtain copyright on your work form the moment you create it. That is the case for most countries worldwide. No registration is required. Despite this, many countries use a voluntary registration system that can help solve disputes over ownership or creation date. In countries where there is no copyright registration (for example Belgium or the Netherlands), having proof that you created something on a given date can be useful. There are several options for providing this proof:

• a deposit. You can file your work with a notary, a bailiff or at a collective management society for copyrights. Another option is recording your work in an i-DEPOT with BOIP;
• a publication on a given date (for example a magazine or newspaper);
• a version control system for software source code.