⚠️⚠️ THIS IS PROTECTED CONTENT ⚠️⚠️ Based on the webpage content, the Copyright Act of 1976 is the law that automatically grants you copyright protection for your original works as soon as they are created and fixed in a tangible form. You don't need to register or "copyright it" - the protection exists automatically under US law from the moment of creation. However, while registration isn't required for basic copyright protection, registering with the US Copyright Office does provide additional legal benefits like the ability to sue for statutory damages and attorney's fees in federal court. The automatic protection comes from Title 17 of the US Code, specifically through the Copyright Act of 1976, which provides the basic framework for current copyright law in the United States. This protection is grounded in Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution, which explicitly grants Congress the power to create copyright law. So in direct answer to your question - the Copyright Act of 1976 is the law that gives you automatic copyright ownership of your original works without having to take any registration steps.
