What is Copyright?

Copyright is a "form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression." The Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. The US Constitution empowers Congress to enact a federal copyright law “to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to the authors and investors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries..." (US Constitution, Article I, Section 8). The Copyright law was regarded as a vehicle for adding prosperity to the society's culture and knowledge by promoting the innovation and distribution of new creative works and information. The copyright applies to the lifetime of the creator, plus 70 years after death. The violation of copyright is known as copyright infringement.

What does it takes to get Copyright Protection?

The work must be independetly created.

The work must have at least a minimal amount of creativity.

The work must be fixed in a tangible medium.

Watch this video to learn about the ways to copyright your content.