Wednesday, August 13, 2008

U.S. Copyright Office Basics: "What Works Are Protected?"

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Copyright protects “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form of expression. The fixation need not be directly perceptible so long as it may be communicated with the aid of a machine or device. Copyrightable works include the following categories:

  • 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


  • architectural works
These categories should be viewed broadly. For example, computer programs and most “compilations” may be registered as “literary works”; maps and architectural plans may be registered as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.”

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What Is Copyright?

Who Can Claim Copyright?

-----Copyright and National Origin of the Work

What Works Are Protected?

What Is Not Protected by Copyright?

How to Secure Copyright

Publication

Notice of Copyright

-----Form of Notice for Visually Perceptible Copies

-----Form of Notice for Phonorecords of Sound Recordings

-----Position of Notice

-----Publications Incorporating U.S. Government Works

-----Unpublished Works

-----Omission of Notice and Errors in Notice

How Long Copyright Protection Endures

Transfer of Copyright

-----Termination of Transfers

International Copyright Protection

Copyright Registration

Registration Procedures

-----Original Registration

-----Preregistration

-----Special Deposit Requirements

-----Unpublished Collections

Effective Date of Registration

Corrections and Amplifications of Existing Registrations

Mandatory Deposit for Works Published in the United States

Use of Mandatory Deposit to Satisfy Registration Requirements

Who May File an Application Form?

Application Forms

-----Fill-in Forms Available

Fees

Search of Copyright Office Records

For Further Information

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Source: U.S. Copyright Office
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Revised July 2006
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