Is there an "international copyright"?

There is no such thing as an "international copyright" that will automatically protect an author's works throughout the entire world. Protection against unauthorized use in a particular country depends, basically, on the national laws of that country.

Is your copyright good in other countries?

Most countries do offer protection to foreign works under certain conditions, and these conditions have been greatly simplified by international copyright treaties and conventions. The United States has copyright relations with more than 100 countries throughout the world and, as a result of these agreements, signatories honor each other's citizens' copyrights. However, the United States does not have such copyright relationships with every country. For further information and a list of countries that maintain copyright relations with the United States, request Copyright Office Circular 38a, "International Copyright Relations of the United States."

Can foreigners register their works in the U.S.?

Any work that is protected by U.S. copyright law can be registered. This includes many works of foreign origin. All works that are unpublished, regardless of the nationality of the author, are protected in the United States. Works that are first published in the United States or in a country with which we have a copyright treaty, or that are created by a citizen or domiciliary of a country with which we have a copyright treaty, are also protected and may therefore be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. See Copyright Office Circular 38a for the status of specific countries.