What Is a Copyright?
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Last Updated:
July 17, 2007 3:20 PM
A copyright is a mark that indicates a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) to authors of “original works of authorship” that are fixed in tangible forms of expression. These include literary, dramatic, musical and certain other intellectual works, such as computer programs and Web sites. A copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.