Explain Copyright Law
The U.S. Copyright Office says that a copyright, as "a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship." Copyrights are not granted by the Copyright Office. Rather, they exist from the time a work is given tangible form. Registering a work with the Copyright Office is important, because it serves to document authorship in the event a copyright infringement makes legal action necessary. No renewal of copyright registration is needed for works dated January 1, 1978, or later. Works registered before that date may require renewal every 28 years.
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Types
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Copyright protection covers written works, music, movies and other video works, art, photographs and sculpture. Only the author has the right to copy or sell the work.
Limitations
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Copyrights cover only the work, not information disclosed in the work. For example, technical information of commercial value revealed in an article may be used (unless protected by a patent).
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Time Frame
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A copyright exists from the time it is created until 70 years after the author's death. After that, the work enters the public domain.
Public Domain
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Works in the public domain are not copyright protected and may be duplicated or sold by anyone. Authors may release works into the public domain if they choose.
Transfers
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The creator (author) of a work can sell, transfer or license the copyright at his discretion. Transfers of rights may be total or the author may retain some or all rights.
Registration
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Copyrights of created works can be registered online (see Resources). Processing may take several months, but the registration is valid from the date it is submitted.
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