Copyright

Copyright protects any work of authorship that is expressed in a tangible medium of expression, is original, and has the least bit of creativity.

Copyright law (US Code 17 Section 102a) lists the following types of work:

• Literary works (such as poems, fiction and nonfiction books)
• Music including the lyrics
• Dramatic works including the soundtrack or music (includes plays and operas)
• Pantomimes and choreography
• Pictorial, graphic and sculptural works
• Movies and audiovisual recordings
• Sound recordings
• Architecture

What copyright does not protect

Copyright law (US Code 17 Section 102b) does not protect the following:

• Items not creative enough
• Ideas / Expressions
• Works in the public domain
• Works that qualify under fair use
• Works not fixed in a tangible form
• Works consisting entirely of information that is common property (e.g., calendars)

Items not creative enough

Copyright act does not protect any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in an original work.

Ideas / Expressions

Copyright law does not protect ideas and facts that are included in a work.  

Works in the Public Domain

Works in the public domain are not protected and therefore can be used without obtaining permission.

A chart to identify if a work is in the public domain is available from Cornell University.

A collection of public domain resources is available from Washington State University

Works that qualify under fair use

Fair use provides an exception to the exclusive rights of the copyright owner and works covered by fair use may be copied without the permission of the copyright owner.