Samantha, an artist, creates a beautiful painting in her studio. What can Samantha expect in terms of copyright protection for her artwork?

Copyright protection is automatic and applies as soon as Samantha creates the painting.

Samantha needs to display a copyright notice alongside her artwork for protection.

Copyright protection only applies to artists who want to sell their work, she needs to apply for copyright if she wants to sell the painting.

Samantha needs to register her painting with the copyright office for protection

Copyright protection is automatic and applies as soon as Samantha creates the painting.

Copyright protection is automatic and applies as soon as Samantha creates the painting.

The correct answer is: Copyright protection is automatic and applies as soon as Samantha creates the painting.

Explanation: When Samantha creates her painting in her studio, she automatically gains copyright protection for her artwork. This means that she has exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works from her painting. She does not need to display a copyright notice or register her painting with the copyright office for her artwork to be protected. While registering her painting with the copyright office can provide additional benefits, such as the ability to sue for copyright infringement and the potential to receive statutory damages and attorney's fees, it is not a requirement for copyright protection. It is important to note that copyright protection applies regardless of whether Samantha wants to sell her artwork or not.