copyright
US Copyright registration questions + Non-US citizen
<p>Registering for a U.S. copyright:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I saw that no where during registration you actually tell what your work does, you only fill up details, how exactly is it protecting you if you don't specify? For example I have a computer program/website that do something, how exactly the copyright protects you if you did not specify about it?</p></li>
<li><p>If I am a non-us citizen, do I need to select in State "Non-US", or leave it blank on "Select"? Because it allows me to complete registration with either.</p></li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
  <p>1) I saw that no where during registration you actually tell what your
  work does, you only fill up details, how exactly is it protecting you
  if you don't specify? For example I have a computer program/website
  that do something, how exactly the copyright protects you if you did
  not specify about it?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A copyright protects a particular single expression of an idea and versions that are derived from that particular expression. When you copyright software you have to provide approximately 50 pages of printed code so as to make it possible to distinguish your code from someone else's and you generally deposit a full copy with the Library of Congress.</p>

<p>The ideas in the computer program are not protected. You only protect the exact language of the code in the computer program and other programs that use that exact language as a starting point. </p>

<p>If someone reverse engineers a way to achieve the same process or outcome with different code language (or even comes up with exactly the same code language without ever looking at the language used in your code) then their software does not infringe on your copyright.</p>

<p>To protect the ideas in a computer program you need a patent.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>2) If I am a non-us citizen, do I need to select in State "Non-US", or
  leave it blank on "Select"? Because it allows me to complete
  registration with either.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>State "Non-US" refers to where you are located, not to your citizenship. If you are located outside the U.S., then you select "Non-US" and if you are located in a U.S. state, but are a non-citizen, you select the state where you are located.</p>

<p>The answer does not affect the validity of your copyright. It is used for economic statistics and to determine where the copyright office should locate its own offices to be maximally useful to the public.</p>
