Although the U.S. government fee for filing a copyright registration ranges from only $35-$65, most people realize that original works of authorship, once fixed in any tangible medium, receives automatic worldwide protection.
That is, once the pen is lifted from the paper or the data is saved on your computer, it is copyrighted!
For evidentiary and other advantages, however, it is often suggested that certain works – especially works that will be released and widely-distributed – be forwarded to the U.S. Copyright Office, which is a division of the Library of Congress, for registration.
If the work’s character and use lends itself to actually needing to be registered, the process for most works is not nearly as complex as the patent application process, and much cheaper!
