Copyright

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.  This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

It gives copyright holders a set of exclusive rights to

• reproduce the work, in whole or in part
• distribute copies of the work
• publicly perform the work
• publicly display the work
• prepare derivative works based on the original, such as translations or adaptations

These rights are subject to exceptions and limitations, such as a fair use provision that allows limited uses of works without permission from the copyright holder.

Copyright Protects

• 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
• Computer software

The Vice President & General Counsel, Matthew Heeren, has reviewed and approved this site to research copyright questions, as of October 6th 2021.  Direct any specific legal questions relating to copyright to Mr. Heeren.

The educational materials on copyright is not intended to substitute for and is in no way legal advice.