Reasons for Copyright Laws
The purpose of federal copyright laws is spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes Congress "to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Current copyright laws fulfill this protection and give authors a way to fight back when their exclusive rights are violated.
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How to Find Copyright Law
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Currently, federal copyright law is governed by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, which took effect Jan. 1, 1978. Its codified version is cited as 17 U.S.C. and also goes by the name of "Title 17."
Limited Times
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Laws limit the duration of a copyright. Currently, an author holds ownership for his or her lifetime, plus 70 years, after which time the work becomes public domain. This gives the public collective ownership of creative works 70 years after an author has died.
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Exclusive Right
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Copyright law grants authors certain exclusive rights: to copy or reproduce their work, make derivative works, sell their work to the public and display or perform their work publicly.
Infringement
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If a party other than the author commandeers the author's exclusive rights, copyright law affords the author the right to bring action against that person in a federal court.
Penalties for Infringement
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Copyright law gives authors means to stop infringement by obtaining a court injunction that forces the accused to cease an infringing activity. Copies of infringing material can be seized and destroyed. Finally, copyright law establishes statutory damages in an amount between $750 and $30,000 per infringing action that an author may claim when bringing suit.
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