WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT?

A copyright protects original works (such as published and unpublished works of a literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic nature) from unauthorized copying. A copyright is secured automatically when the work is fixed in a copy or sound recording for the first time. Copyrights can be registered in the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress.

The owner of a copyright has the exclusive right to do, or to authorize others to do, the following things: reproduce the work in copies or sound recordings, prepare derivative works, distribute copies or sound recordings to the public, perform the work publicly and display the work publicly. Generally, any work created after January 1, 1978 is protected for author's life, plus 50 years.