What is Copyright?
Copyright is the right to copy. This right is granted to authors of original works. Among these are rights to:
- Make copies of the work.
- Distribute copies of the work (by selling, renting, lending, or giving it away)
- Perform or display the work publicly
- Make derivative works, like translations, adaptations, and reinterpretations.
As the owner of the copyright for a work, they can give away, sell, or otherwise license some or all of the above rights to others. For example, when an author negotiates a contract, they might give the publisher a right to copy and distribute the work, but not make future derivative works.
What does Copyright Protect?
Copyright protects any works in a fixed format (words written, video record, a picture taken), is original (wasn't copied), and "minimally" creative (not just numbers or facts). The following are categories of works that are protected by copyright:
| 1. Literary Works ("are works other than audiovisual") 2. Musical works, including any accompanying music (compositions or songs) 3. Dramatic works, including any accompanying music 4. Pantomimes and choreographic works | 5. Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works 6. Motion pictures and other audiovisual works 7. Sound recordings 8. Architectural works |
What does Copyright NOT Protect?
Copyright does not protect words, slogans, titles, ideas, procedures, methods, facts and news.
- Procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation
- Ideas, concepts, principles, or discoveries
- Titles, names, short phrases and slogans; familiar symbols or designs, mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, mere listings of ingredients or contents
- Other unoriginal or unfixed works.
For an additional resource in helping you find out if a work is covered by U.S. copyright and calculating its terms of protection, use librarycopyright.net Copyright Genie (click on the genie lamp to begin)
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