E-ComWorks: What Is A Copyright?

E-ComWorks^® Web Sites

Software, Images or Text Copyrights

US Copyright Office

I Pledge Allegiance, to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

What is a copyright?

Copyright subsists in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Literary works (including computer programs), musical works, dramatic works, pictorial, graphic and sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, and sound recordings are all protected by US copyright law.

What Rights Are Granted to a Copyright Owner?
A copyright owner has the exclusive right to do and to authorize a number of acts:

to make copies of the work
to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work
to distribute copies of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending
to perform or display the copyrighted work publicly
to import the work

For more information on US copyright law, see US Copyright Office.

YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSULT WITH YOUR OWN COPYRIGHT ATTORNEY ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.