What is copyright?Copyright protects certain kinds of "original works of authorship" -- whether
published or unpublished. Copyright grants the author of the work the legal right
to determine how or whether the work will be reproduced, distributed, displayed,
or performed, as well as the right to produce derivative works based on the
original.
What is covered by copyright?
According to Title 17 o f the U.S. Code, copyright protects works "fixed in any
tangible medium of expression" in these categories:
· literary works
· musical works, including any accompanying words
· dramatic works, including any accompanying music
· pantomimes and choreographic works
· pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
· motion pictures and other audiovisual works
· sound recordings
· architectural works
These categories are interpreted liberally. For example, "literary works" does not
refer literature of the Western canon, but anything written in a language.
Computer programs are protected as part of this category, as are personal
letters
What is "fair use"?
Copyright law allows portions of a copyrighted work to be used without the
author's permission for specific purposes. This is referred to as "fair use."
Fair use allows for portions, or in some cases the entirety, of copyrighted works
to be used for purposes such as "criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
(including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research."
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