In Virginia, the requirements boiled down to (1) pick a name that isn't taken, (2) fill out and mail a particular form with a $100 check, (3) keep some paperwork that tracks shareholders - in your case there's just one - and assets.
You probably won't do as good a job as if you were a lawyer, so deciding to do it yourself depends on how seriously you think you need protection.
But, if this is the case, releasing these side projects suddenly becomes a whole lot less fun (never mind desirable).
It even costs more.
If there were some kind of trustworthy company, that could act as an umbrella for side projects - i.e. standard T&C / privacy policy let the developer maintain some kind of ownership rights etc.
does this sound ridiculous?
I am in the UK, and as I understand it, its only costs a few £100 to setup a PLC (private limited company) - the main overhead is that you have to post you accounts each year to companies house (which probably means you have to pay an accountant to help you).
It certainly is some hassle, but there are companies that will set it all up for you I believe. If you own a house or have significant savings I would certainly want them protected from some chancer who has decided you have infringed some patent or lost his data to hackers or stolen his idea etc. Defending something like this could be very expensive, so it may be easier to just close up shop and keep your day job!
To add to this question, would it make sense to setup a limited liability company to release a side project under? If something really goes wrong, and some big company or rich individual decides to sue you (for whatever reason), you probably don't want your personal assets to be up for grabs. As I understand it, if you are operating as a limited liability company, someone can sue your company out of existence and basically shut you down, but at least they cannot have your house or personal savings!