Research Guides: Copyright Guide: Copyright Law

Copyright Law

Copyright law, as defined in Title 17 of the United States Code, protects "original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression" for a limited period.

Copyright protection includes, for instance, the legal right to publish and sell literary, artistic, or musical work, and copyright protects authors, publishers and producers, and the public.

Copyright applies both to traditional media (books, records, etc.) and to digital media (electronic journals, web sites, etc.). Copyright protects the following eight categories of works:

literary works
musical works
dramatic works
pantomimes and choreographic works
pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
motion pictures and other audiovisual works
sound recordings
architectural works

Ownership of a copyrighted work includes the right to control the use of that work. Use of such work by others during the term of the copyright requires either permission from the author or reliance on the doctrine of fair use.

Failure to do one or the other will expose the user to a claim of copyright infringement for which the law provides remedies including payment of money damages to the copyright owner.

United States Copyright Office Circular 92: Copyright Law of the United States
This publication contains the text of title 17 of the United States Code, including all amendments enacted by Congress through June 30, 2016. It includes the Copyright Act of 1976 and all subsequent amendments to copyright law; the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, as amended; and the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, as amended. The Copyright Office is responsible for registering intellectual property claims under all three.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was signed into law by President Clinton on October 28, 1998.The legislation implements two 1996 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties: the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. The DMCA also addresses a number of other significant copyright-related issues.

US Copyright Office DMCA Summary
This is a brief summary of each title of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It provides merely an overview of the law’s provisions; for purposes of length and readability a significant amount of detail has been omitted. A complete understanding of any provision of the DMCA requires reference to the text of the legislation itself.
U.S. Copyright Office DMCA Exceptions
The Librarian of Congress adopted exemptions to the provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that prohibits circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works, codified in section 1201(a)(1) of title 17 of the United States Code. As required under the statute, the Register of Copyrights, following a public proceeding, submitted a Recommendation concerning proposed exemptions to the Librarian of Congress. After careful consideration, the Librarian adopts final regulations based upon the Register’s Recommendation.

Copyright History and Education

This section provides an overview of United States Copyright history.

United States Copyright Office: A Brief Introduction and History.
Copyright law in the United States has changed often since the Constitution granted Congress the power to provide protection to authors’ creative works.
United States Copyright Office Circular 1a - A Brief History of Copyright in the United States.
The Copyright Office provides expert assistance to Congress on intellectual property matters; advises Congress on anticipated changes in U.S. copyright law; analyzes and assists in drafting copyright legislation and legislative reports and provides and undertakes studies for Congress; and offers advice to Congress on compliance with multilateral agreements, such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
Association of Research Libraries Copyright Timeline: A History of Copyright in the United States.
Since the Statute of Anne almost three hundred years ago, U.S. law has been revised to broaden the scope of copyright, to change the term of copyright protection, and to address new technologies. For several years, the U.S. has considered and acted on copyright reform.
United States Copyright Office History and Education.
This page provides historical and educational resources from the United States Copyright Office.

It is Copyrighted?

The Copyright Genie can:

Help you find out if a work is covered by U.S. copyright,
Calculate its terms of protection, and
Collect and publish the results (as a PDF) to save for your records or further vet with a copyright specialist.

The Copyright Genie was created and copyrighted under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Commercial-Share Alike license by Michael Brewer and the ALA Office for Information Technology.

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Copyright Guide

Books

Credits

Copyright Law

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

Copyright History and Education

It is Copyrighted?