Copyright is a form of protection provided by U.S. law providing exclusive rights that belong to the creators of "original works of authorship", which only they can legally use or authorize others to use.
Examples of copyrightable works include:
• Literary works
• Musical works, including any accompanying words
• Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
• Pantomimes and choreographic works
• Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
• Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
• Sound recordings, which are works that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds
• Architectural works
These categories should be viewed broadly for the purpose of registering your work. For example, computer programs and certain “compilations” can be registered as “literary works”; maps and technical drawings can be registered as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.”
Copyright does not protect:
• Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, or discoveries
• Works that are not fixed in a tangible form (such as a choreographic work that has not been
notated or recorded or an improvisational speech that has not been written down)
• Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans
• Familiar symbols or designs
• Mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring
• Mere listings of ingredients or contents
For more information, see Works Not Protected by Copyright (Circular 33).
There's lots to understand about your rights as an author or creator.
To best explain all that is involved with holding copyright, we want to refer you to the NYU Libraries guide all about Copyright for Authors and Creators: https://bit.ly/2vDQrQB
Still confused by copyright? Want to learn more? Check out these resources and guides:
Association of College & Research Libraries guide on all things Copyright here
Copyright Crash Course from the University of Texas Libraries
Learn more and test your knowledge of copyright with the Copyright Crash Course created by Georgia Harper. The new version of the fantastic guide to copyright covers copyright basics, fair use, TEACH Act, and more.
Copyright Basics - A handout from the U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright Basics From NYU Libraries
This guide focuses on Copyright and Fair Use in an academic setting, and includes an excellent page with guidelines for faculty using resources in classrooms. The faculty guidelines also often apply to committees and other collaborative groups sharing information for educational and research purposes that meet fair use guidelines.
From the Ohio State University Copyright Resource Center a series of podcast lectures on copyright law.
Series of webinars on a variety of copyright topics presented by the American Library Association Office of Information Technology Policy.
This video from Copyright Clearance Center is part of a “Copyright Answers” series of videos on copyright-related topics. Find more at their YouTube channel at www.YouTube/CopyrightClear.
The intent of this guide is to provide employees of Cincinnati Children's with information pertaining to copyright law and fair use. In no way does this guide constitute, or take the place of, legal counsel. This guide was compiled for educational purposes only. Any content presented on other's sites are for user's convenience only and Pratt Library and/or Cincinnati Children's does not take responsibility for anything presented on these third party sites.