Copyright is a type of intellectual property that provides exclusive rights for literary, musical, dramatic, artistic (paintings, film, pictures, software, etc.), or architectural works. This type of right is available for original works of authorship (expressive/artistic) that are fixed in a tangible form.
The purpose of copyright is to encourage creative works by granting a temporary monopoly in an author’s original creations.
This monopoly gives the author rights such as:
(1) the right of reproduction (i.e., copying),
(2) the right to create derivative works,
(3) the right to distribution,
(4) the right to performance,
(5) the right to display, and
(6) the digital transmission performance right.
Although registration of the work with the Copyright Office is not necessary to obtain protection under copyright laws, doing so provides certain enforcement tools. A copyright term of protection usually lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years, if the work was created after January 1, 1978.
