Copyright

Not to be confused with Copywriting.
This article is about the legal right. For the symbol, see Copyright symbol. For the band, see Copyright (band). For the Wikipedia policy, see Wikipedia:Copyrights.

Intellectual property
Related topics
Higher categories:
Property and Property law

A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time.[1][2][3][4][5] The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or musical form. Copyright is intended to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself.[6][7][8] A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States and fair dealings doctrine in the United Kingdom.

Some jurisdictions require "fixing" copyrighted works in a tangible form. It is often shared among multiple authors, each of whom holds a set of rights to use or license the work, and who are commonly referred to as rights holders.[9][10][11][12][13][better source needed] These rights normally include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution.[14]

Copyrights can be granted by public law and are in that case considered "territorial rights". This means that copyrights granted by the law of a certain state do not extend beyond the territory of that specific jurisdiction. Copyrights of this type vary by country; many countries, and sometimes a large group of countries, have made agreements with other countries on procedures applicable when works "cross" national borders or national rights are inconsistent.[15]

Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 50 to 100 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities[5] to establishing copyright, others recognize copyright in any completed work, without a formal registration. When the copyright of a work expires, it enters the public domain.

  1. ^ "Definition of copyright". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 29 September 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Definition of Copyright". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  3. ^ Nimmer on Copyright, vol. 2, § 8.01.
  4. ^ "Intellectual property", Black's Law Dictionary, 10th ed. (2014).
  5. ^ a b "Understanding Copyright and Related Rights" (PDF). World Intellectual Property Organization. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  6. ^ Stim, Rich (27 March 2013). "Copyright Basics FAQ". The Center for Internet and Society Fair Use Project. Stanford University. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  7. ^ Daniel A. Tysver. "Works Unprotected by Copyright Law". Bitlaw.
  8. ^ Lee A. Hollaar. "Legal Protection of Digital Information". p. Chapter 1: An Overview of Copyright, Section II.E. Ideas Versus Expression.
  9. ^ Copyright, University of California, 2014, retrieved 15 December 2014
  10. ^ "Journal Conventions". Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  11. ^ Blackshaw, Ian S. (20 October 2011). Sports Marketing Agreements: Legal, Fiscal and Practical Aspects. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9789067047937 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Kaufman, Roy (16 July 2008). Publishing Forms and Contracts. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190451264 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Ahmad, Tabrez; Snehil, Soumya (2011). "Significance of Fixation in Copyright Law". SSRN. SSRN 1839527. Archived from the original on 3 June 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Copyright Basics" (PDF). www.copyright.gov. U.S. Copyright Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2019.