Very briefly, copyright gives the author of a work the right...

  • ...to reproduce the work
  • ...to permit copies to be made by others
  • ...to prepare derivative works
  • ...to display the copyrighted work publicly

Cyndi's List http://www.cyndislist.com/copyrite.htm

 

According to Dictionary. COM Copyright is defined as:

"The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work."

The U.S. copyright law, located in Title 17 of the United States Code, gives criteria for copyright protection. Copyright is a protection for an author of an original work.  This work may be graphical, literary, musical, dramatic, and other types of intellectual work. The owner of the work maintains the right to authorize others to reproduce his/her original works. Copyright protects both the published and unpublished work of the author. (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wci) This website give gives information regarding the use of copyrighted material.
 
In more simplistic terms, the laws of copyright are based upon anyone who creates an original piece of work in which they may at sometime gain a monetary value for that work. Therefore, copyright laws are designed to protect the author to make a profit and control how their work is used. Almost every original work is copyrighted.  Authors of works do not have to register or announce copyright protection to have the work copyrighted.  All they have to do is produce the work in some form such as written or on the internet.
 
The list below details those few exceptions that are not copyrighted.  This list is from the U.S. Copyright Office and includes:
  • Works that have not been fixed in tangible form of expression.
  • Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols, or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents.
  • Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices-as distinguished from a description, an explanation, or an illustration.
  • Works consisting entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship, such as standard calendars, height and weight charts, tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public documents or other common sources.

  • Taken from:  http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ1.html#wwp

Resources on Copyright

Resources on Copyright Laws
 

Please consult the following websites for information

regarding copyright and Fair Use.
  1. http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
     

  2. http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
     

  3. http://www.lib.utsystem.edu/copyright/highownership.html
     

  4. http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Fair%20Use%20Matrix%20for%20Teachers
     

  5. http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/copy.htm
     

  6. http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Fair
     

  7. http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml   
     

  8. http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/edu/copyright.htm
    This site is designed for educators and will answer a lot of questions.
     

  9. http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright.html