After just reading a few mails of this topic, I want to mention, that
there's a difference between "copyright" and "right of publication".
Don't mix "copyright" and "related rights".
In Germany "copyright" is named "Urheberrecht", translated word by word
it's "creator-right". In Germany we know the "Vervielfältigungsrecht",
this is the right of publication, the right of reproduction, translated
word by word "copy-right" ;).
AFAIK it's similar for most countries. The "copyright" has less to do
with "coping", it's about the authorship. A creator automatically owns
the copyright, no registration is needed. It's impossible to
assign/transfer the copyright, it's only possible top assign/transfer
the right of publication, the right of reproduction.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.