“There is no question that copyright was originally vested by the federal Constitution with the original author, that this is a constitutional protection properly having jurisdiction in federal courts and always has in cases involving interstate commerce like sales over the Internet, and that the 1976 Copyright Act itself acknowledges that “registration is not a condition of copyright protection.”

Yet this decision denies unregistered writers their constitutional right to any copyright protection by federal courts. The ruling contradicts the specific guarantees to copyright protection that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It contradicts over 200 years of constitutional protection against copyright infringement for all writers, not just those who choose to register with the Copyright Office.

This decision is a dangerous precedent that must not be allowed to stand. It must be appealed to the full Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and, if necessary, to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

More at The National Writer’s Union on last year’s decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that writers who had not registered their works with the U.S. Copyright Office are denied any access to federal court for copyright protection.

Comment: If you are a writer, you owe it to yourself to make your voice heard on behalf of the write side of this debate.