Copyright law is a constitutionally guaranteed intellectual property right which protects original works of authorship from being copied, displayed, performed, distributed and adapted by others. Although beneficial, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not necessary to secure copyright protection. Instead, copyright automatically attaches to a work once it is fixed so that it can be perceived more than momentarily with or without the aid of a machine. For example, a poem in the mind of its author receives copyright protection only when it is “fixed” on paper or as a computer-readable document.
Copyright law protects a wide range of works, including books, articles, poetry, websites, movies, videos, video graphics, photographs, paintings, sculptures, software, dance choreography, sheet music, recorded musical performances and architectural plans. However, to receive copyright protection, such works must be original and reflect at least a modicum of creativity. For instance, a work reciting only factual data such as phone numbers and addresses will not receive copyright protection, but copyright will protect an original short story or article about an already-much-published historical event.
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