What Does Copyright Protect?
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Last Updated:
July 19, 2007 11:13 AM
Generally, copyright protection gives the copyright owner exclusive right to do, and to authorize others to do, the following:
- Reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords;
- Prepare derivative works based upon the work;
- Distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
- Perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
- Display the copyrighted work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work; and
- Perform the work publicly, in the case of sound recordings.
It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the copyright owner. These rights, however, are not unlimited. One major limitation is the doctrine of fair use. Another limitation is "compulsory license" under which certain limited uses of copyrighted works are permitted upon payment of royalties. For further information about these limitations, you may want to consult an attorney or write the U.S. Copyright Office.