As someone pointed out yesterday, there is a way to prevent people from
being able to steal your graphics.  And no, you don't have to steal the
code to do it.  It is a simple JavaScript, and rather than writing one
myself to share with you all, here is a link to a free javascript library
where there is a no-right-click script.  There are also instructions on
how to include it in your pages.
 
http://javascript.internet.com/page-details/no-right-click.html
 
Here is the "Copyright Basics" link on the Library of Congress's
Copyright Office page...
 
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wwp
 
It indicates that copyright begins from the moment of creation of any
original work, without having to actually obtain a copyright.  However,
as was pointed out by BIG, "titles, names, short phrases and slogans"
are not eligible, and a different process applies.  It also says "you
cannot claim copyright to another's work, no matter how much you change
it, unless you have the owner's consent"
 
Melissa Rotert
[Posted in FML issue 4118]