Copyrighted materials need not bear the copyright symbol in order to be protected. Since 1978, all works created are automatically protected, regardless of whether the owner/author submits a copyright request; all works originally created before 1978 (whether registered or not) are also protected by copyright law. It is better to always assume a work is copyrighted and that you must obtain permission to use it (i.e. download it or share it). To learn more or search for specific works, visit the .