Doesn't copyright apply the moment of release? Since it's not released, it's not copyrighted. The rest would indeed apply, of course, but I'm not sure about copyright.
No. In the US, at least, copyright law applies as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression.
Per the Copyright Office[1]:
A work is fixed when it is captured (either by or under the authority of an author) in a sufficiently permanent medium such that the work can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a short time. For example, a work is fixed when you write it down or record it.
Per the Copyright Office[1]:
A work is fixed when it is captured (either by or under the authority of an author) in a sufficiently permanent medium such that the work can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a short time. For example, a work is fixed when you write it down or record it.
[1] https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/