Yes, it does. In the US, all copyrightable creative works (which includes CSS files) are copyrighted by default as soon as they are created. The system is opt-out, not opt-in.

In fact, there's not even an opt-out. You can just create a permissive license. There is no authoritative way to release a work into Public Domain.

Exactly. In the US.

Hmm, you do have a point. It seems that Malaysian and Indian law are what we need to know here, since that's where the two parties are based.

Indian copyright law is the same. Copyrightable works are copyrighted by default.

Actually it does - Copyright protection is automatic.

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#protect