Copyright is a form of legal protection that provides authors of original creative works with limited control over the reproduction and distribution of their work. It gives copyright holders a set of exclusive rights to
These rights are subject to exceptions and limitations, such as "fair use," which allows limited uses of works without the permission of the copyright holder.
Copyright protects "original works of authorship." To be copyrightable, a work must be created by the author rather than copied, and must involve some minimal degree of creativity. It must also be "fixed in [a] tangible medium," meaning that it must in some sense be recorded, such as on paper, in a computer file, on a DVD, etc. Types of works protected by copyright include:
What is not protected by copyright?
This link opens in a new windowThis fun video from the folks at the Copyright Clearance Center can help you better understand the basics of copyright.
