Under federal law, copyright protects the rights of the creators of works of various types. The copyright ensures that the creator has the right to:
*decide who may reprint/copy the work
*allow the production of derivative works
*decide who may display or perform the work to the public
*allow the distribution of the work to the public.
The copyright regulations are a part of the United States Code and can be found in Title 17.
What's protected?
There are various types of works protected by copyright. They include:
*literature
*music, including lyrics
*audio visual works, including movies
*drama
*dance
*software
*architecture
*sound recordings
Copyrights cannot protect mere ideas, but they are very useful for many works.
Circular 21: "Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians" published by the U.S. Copyright Office
Know Your Copyrights: Copyright information from the Association of Research Libraries
Copyright for Educators & Librarians: free course offered by Duke University, Emory University, and UNC - Chapel Hill
OER Starter Kit: "Copyright and Open Licensing" by Iowa State University Digital Press, for those interested in creating Open Education Resources
Creative Commons: "About CC Licenses" gives Creative Commons guidance to creators and users
Codes of Best Practices: from the Center for Media & Social Impact
Typically, copyright protection will last the length of the creator's life, plus 70 years. This applies to works created after 1978; works created previously have different protection standards.
