What is copyright?
Copyright (Title 17 of the United States Code) is an intellectual property law that protects authors/creators' works and gives the author exclusive rights to it for a period of time. These works must be in tangible form and can either be published or unpublished. You do not have to register works with the US Copyright Office unless you file a lawsuit for infringement of your work. Check the resources to use tools to help determine the status or length of copyright of a specific work.
Determining Copyright Status
- Digital Copyright SliderCopyright Advisory Network
- The Copyright GenieCopyright Advisory Network
- Public Copyright CatalogUS Copyright Office