Copyright is a good thing: it protects one's creative work. If someone violates another's copyright, it is called "copyright infringement."

In 1976 the copyright law in the U.S. was substantially expanded. These laws affect everyone. Students especially need to be aware of copyright laws, since they are often using and incorporating the work of others into their own work. At the very least, everyone should be familiar with the following:

1. What is protected by copyright?

• literary works;

• musical works, including any accompanying words

• dramatic works, including any accompanying music

• pantomimes and choreographic works

• pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works

• motion pictures and other audiovisual works

• sound recordings

• architectural works."

        2. "What is not protected by copyright?"

• "Works that have not been fixed in a tangible form of expression"

• "Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents"

• "Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration."

• "Works consisting entirely of information that is common property and containing no original authorship (for example: standard calendars, height and weight charts, tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public documents or other common sources)."

•  As a general rule, works published before 1923 in the United States are part of the "public domain" and are free to use; they have no copyright. (source: www.copylaw.com.)

       3. How may one use copyrighted material?

      copyrighted material may be used according to what is called, "fair use." One    
      may use copyrighted material, keeping in mind the following: 

• "the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

• the nature of the copyrighted work;

• the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

• the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work." 

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