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Copyrights - A Brief Guide
by Nancy J. Wagner
Defining a copyright
What is a copyright? A copyright is the legal right granted to the author of any work. This includes works created by writers, composers, playwrights and publishers. Copyrights are also granted to distributors of exclusive publications who produce, sell, or distribute a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.
A copyright owner's rights include reproducing the work, preparing artist's renderings, and displaying the work publicly.
Works without copyright notices
A copyright notice is not required by the law to protect work. In other words, if you find something on the Internet that you want to copy and paste to your site, make sure you have permission to do so. Even if you don't see a copyright notice, the work is not yours to use unless specifically stated.
How long does a copyright last?
Copyrighted works are protected from the second they are created. The Copyright Law states the following:
Works created or published on or after January 1, 1978 are protected during the life of the author, plus 70 years after the author's death;
Works published before January 1, 1978 are protected for 28 years, with an option to renew for an additional 67 years for a total life span of 95 years;
Works made for hire and anonymous and pseudonymous works are protected for 120 years from the creation of the copyright or for 95 years from publication.
Please note that the facts mentioned in this article pertain to United States copyright notices.
For more information about U.S. copyrights, visit the United States Copyright Office web site. To learn more about copyrights and the Internet, visit copyright law in cyberspace.
For a thorough discussion of copyright related topics, both U.S. and international, click here to visit benedict.com.
What is a copyright? A copyright is the legal right granted to the author of any work. This includes works created by writers, composers, playwrights and publishers. Copyrights are also granted to distributors of exclusive publications who produce, sell, or distribute a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.
A copyright owner's rights include reproducing the work, preparing artist's renderings, and displaying the work publicly.
Works without copyright notices
A copyright notice is not required by the law to protect work. In other words, if you find something on the Internet that you want to copy and paste to your site, make sure you have permission to do so. Even if you don't see a copyright notice, the work is not yours to use unless specifically stated.
How long does a copyright last?
Copyrighted works are protected from the second they are created. The Copyright Law states the following:
Works created or published on or after January 1, 1978 are protected during the life of the author, plus 70 years after the author's death;
Works published before January 1, 1978 are protected for 28 years, with an option to renew for an additional 67 years for a total life span of 95 years;
Works made for hire and anonymous and pseudonymous works are protected for 120 years from the creation of the copyright or for 95 years from publication.
Please note that the facts mentioned in this article pertain to United States copyright notices.
For more information about U.S. copyrights, visit the United States Copyright Office web site. To learn more about copyrights and the Internet, visit copyright law in cyberspace.
For a thorough discussion of copyright related topics, both U.S. and international, click here to visit benedict.com.