What is Copyright?

Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression ... Home WhatisCopyright? WhatisCopyright? Copyrightisatypeofintellectualpropertythatprotectsoriginalworksofauthorshipassoonasan authorfixestheworkinatangibleformofexpression.Incopyrightlaw,therearealotofdifferent typesofworks,includingpaintings,photographs,illustrations,musicalcompositions,soundrecordings, computerprograms,books,poems,blogposts,movies,architecturalworks,plays,andsomuchmore! Copyrightisoriginalityandfixation OriginalWorks Worksareoriginalwhentheyareindependentlycreatedbyahumanauthorandhaveaminimaldegree ofcreativity.Independentcreationsimplymeansthatyoucreateityourself,withoutcopying.The SupremeCourthassaidthat,tobecreative,aworkmusthavea“spark”and“modicum”ofcreativity. Therearesomethings,however,thatarenotcreative,like:titles,names,shortphrases,andslogans; familiarsymbolsordesigns;merevariationsoftypographicornamentation,lettering,orcoloring;and merelistingsofingredientsorcontents.Andalwayskeepinmindthatcopyrightprotectsexpression, andneverideas,procedures,methods,systems,processes,concepts,principles,ordiscoveries. FixedWorks Aworkisfixedwhenitiscaptured(eitherbyorundertheauthorityofanauthor)inasufficiently permanentmediumsuchthattheworkcanbeperceived,reproduced,orcommunicatedformorethana shorttime.Forexample,aworkisfixedwhenyouwriteitdownorrecordit. “CongressshallhavePower ...TopromotetheProgress ofScienceandusefulArts, bysecuringforlimitedTimes toAuthorsandInventors theexclusiveRighttotheir respectiveWritingsand Discoveries.” —UnitedStatesConstitution ArticleI,Section8 CopyrighthasbeenapartofU.S.lawsince thenation’sfounding.Congresspassedthe firstfederalcopyrightlawin1790,andhas updateditthroughouttheyearstokeep upwiththetimes.Ourcopyrighttimeline explainsmoreofcopyright’shistory. Whoisacopyrightowner? Everyoneisacopyrightowner.Onceyoucreateanoriginalworkandfixit,liketakingaphotograph,writingapoemorblog,orrecordinganewsong,youaretheauthorandtheowner. Companies,organizations,andotherpeoplebesidesthework’screatorcanalsobecopyrightowners.Copyrightlawallowsownershipthrough“worksmadeforhire,”whichestablishesthatworkscreatedbyanemployeewithinthescopeofemploymentareownedbytheemployer.Theworkmadeforhiredoctrinealsoappliestocertainindependentcontractorrelationships,forcertaintypesofcommissionedworks. Copyrightownershipcanalsocomefromcontractslikeassignmentsorfromothertypesoftransferslikewillsandbequests. Whatrightsdoescopyrightprovide? U.S.copyrightlawprovidescopyrightownerswiththefollowingexclusiverights: Reproducetheworkincopiesorphonorecords. Preparederivativeworksbaseduponthework. Distributecopiesorphonorecordsoftheworktothepublicbysaleorothertransferofownershiporbyrental,lease,orlending. Performtheworkpubliclyifitisaliterary,musical,dramatic,orchoreographicwork;apantomime;oramotionpictureorotheraudiovisualwork. Displaytheworkpubliclyifitisaliterary,musical,dramatic,orchoreographicwork;apantomime;orapictorial,graphic,orsculpturalwork.Thisrightalsoappliestotheindividualimagesofamotionpictureorotheraudiovisualwork. Performtheworkpubliclybymeansofadigitalaudiotransmissioniftheworkisasoundrecording. Copyrightalsoprovidestheownerofcopyrighttherighttoauthorizeotherstoexercisetheseexclusiverights,subjecttocertainstatutorylimitations. Howlongdoescopyrightprotectionlast? Thelengthofcopyrightprotectiondependsonwhenaworkwascreated.Underthecurrentlaw,workscreatedonorafterJanuary1,1978,haveacopyrighttermoflifeoftheauthorplusseventyyearsaftertheauthor’sdeath.Iftheworkisajointwork,thetermlastsforseventyyearsafterthelastsurvivingauthor’sdeath.Forworksmadeforhireandanonymousorpseudonymousworks,copyrightprotectionis95yearsfrompublicationor120yearsfromcreation,whicheverisshorter.Workscreatedbefore1978haveadifferenttimeframe.LearnmoreaboutcopyrightdurationinourDurationofCopyrightsCircular. WhencanIuseworksthatarenotmine? Agreements,Exceptions,andLimitations Itisimportanttoknowthatweareallalsocopyrightusers.Whenwereadbooks,watchmovies,listentomusic,orusevideogamesorsoftware,weareusingcopyright-protectedworks. So,evenifyouarenottheownerofawork,youstillmaybeabletouseit.Inadditiontobuyingorlicensingworks(orsomeotherwayofseekingpermissiontousethework),youcanalsouseoneoftheCopyrightAct’sexceptionsandlimitations,orrelyonworksinthepublicdomain. TheCopyrightAct’sexceptionsandlimitationsfoundinsections107-122includefairuse,the“firstsaledoctrine,”somereproductionsbylibrariesandarchives,certainperformancesanddisplays,broadcastprogrammingtransmissionsbycableandsatellite,tonameafew.Interestedinmoreinformationonfairuse?TakealookatourFairUseIndex.Thecompletelistofexemptionstocopyrightprotectioncanbefoundinchapter1ofTitle17oftheUnitedStatesCode. Youcanalsouseworksthatareinthepublicdomain.Worksinthepublicdomainarethosethatareneverprotectedbycopyright(likefactsordiscoveries)orworkswhosetermofprotectionhasendedeitherbecauseitexpiredortheownerdidnotsatisfyapreviouslyrequiredformality.Currently,allpre-1926U.S.worksareinthepublicdomainbecausecopyrightprotectionhasexpiredforthoseworks. Whatiscopyrightregistration? Copyrightexistsautomaticallyinanoriginalworkofauthorshiponceitisfixed,butacopyrightownercantakestepstoenhancetheprotections.Themostimportantstepisregisteringthework.Registeringaworkisnotmandatory,butforU.S.works,registration(orrefusal)isnecessarytoenforcetheexclusiverightsofcopyrightthroughlitigation.Timelyregistrationalsoallowscopyrightownerstoseekcertaintypesofmonetarydamagesandattorneyfeesifthereisalawsuit,andalsoprovideapresumptionthatinformationontheregistrationcertificateiscorrect. Copyrightregistrationalsoprovidesvaluetothepublicoverall.Itfacilitatesthelicensingmarketplacebyallowingpeopletofindcopyrightownershipinformation,anditprovidesthepublicwithnoticethatsomeoneisclaimingcopyrightprotection.Italsoprovidesarecordofthisnation’screativity. ThereisonlyoneplacetoregisterclaimstocopyrightintheUnitedStates:theCopyrightOffice.Formoreinformationonregistrationbenefitsandprocedures,pleaseseeourCopyrightRegistrationCircular. Whataboutotherintellectualpropertyrights? Patentandtrademarkareothertypesofintellectualpropertythatmaycoverworksandareconsideredseparatelyfromcopyrighteligibility.Forexample,patents,whicharegrantedbythegovernment,protectcertaininventionsordiscoveries,designsforarticlesofmanufacture,andplantvarietals.Trademarklaw,ontheotherhand,protectswords,names,symbols,ordevicesusedintradewithgoodsorservicestoindicatethesourceofthegoodsandtodistinguishthemfromthegoodsorservicesofothers.Formoreinformationontheseothertypesofintellectualproperty,takealookattheUnitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice'spatentandtrademarkinformation. Whatifthereischangeinownership? DocumentRecordation TheCopyrightOfficealsorecordsdocumentsrelatedtoCopyright.ThisisknownasRecordation,andmeansthattheOfficereviewsandacceptsdocuments,andkeepsarecordof,thedocumentspeopleprovide.Recordationrelatestothreedifferentkindsofdocuments:transfersofcopyrightownership,otherdocumentsrelatingtoacopyright,andnoticesoftermination,whichauthorsortheirheirsusewhenterminatingcertaintransfersorlicenses. Whatisstatutorylicensing? StatutorylicensesaresomeofthelimitationsintheCopyrightAct.Theyrelatetocertainusesofmusicalcompositions,soundrecordings,andcableandsatelliteprogramming.Forcomprehensiveinformationonmusicalcompositionsandsoundrecordings,wehaveanumberofusefulresourceslikeourCircularsandourdedicatedMusicModernizationActpage.Forinformationoncableandsatelliteuses,visitourLicensingDivisionpage. Readyformoreinformation? Formoregeneralinformationoncopyrightlaw,pleaseseeourLearningEnginevideoseries.Ifyouwantmoredetailedinformationoncopyrightlaw,weinviteyoutoreadourCircularsorFAQs.Foramoreadvancedguide,pleaseuseourCompendiumofU.S.CopyrightOfficePractices,ThirdEdition.TheCompendiumistheOffice’sadministrativemanualrelatingtotheCopyrightActandourregulationsandpractices.Itprovidesinstructiontoagencystaffregardingtheirstatutorydutiesandprovidesexpertguidancetocopyrightapplicants,practitioners,scholars,thecourts,andmembersofthegeneralpublicregardinginstitutionalpracticesandrelatedprinciplesoflaw. We’reHeretoHelp! TheCopyrightOfficewebsite,copyright.gov,isthedefinitivesourceofcopyrightinformation.Ifyouneedadditionalassistance,thePublicInformationOfficeisavailabletohelp.Youcancontactusonline,callat(202)707-3000or1-877-476-0778(tollfree),orvisittheOfficeinWashington,DC,intheLibraryofCongressMadisonBuilding.StaffisavailableMondaythroughFriday,8:30a.m.to5:00p.m.,exceptfederalholidays.WanttolearnmoreabouttheCopyrightOfficeandwhatwedo?Visitouroverviewpage,whereyoucandiscoverhowwehavebeenhelpingthepublicsince1870.