Final answer:
Yes, a minimal degree of creativity is required for a work to be copyrightable, which protects original works of authorship as soon as they are fixed in a tangible form and lasts for the author's lifetime plus 70 years.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a work to be copyrightable, it is true that there only needs to be a minimal amount of creativity. Copyright is a form of protection by U.S. law for original works of authorship, provided these works are fixed in a tangible form of expression. These works must be independently created and possess at least some measure of creativity. This means that the bar for creativity is not particularly high; even a small degree of creativity or originality can be sufficient for copyright protection.
However, this does not extend to ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries, regardless of the amount of creativity involved, as these are not protectable under copyright law. Furthermore, copyright protection exists automatically from the moment the original work is created and fixed in a form that is perceivable and lasts for the author's lifetime plus 70 years afterwards.