Title 17 of the United States Code contains the formal statues that govern copyright in the United States. The statutes attempt to balance the rights of the creators and the free flow of information. It is important that individuals have a basic understanding of copyright law in order to ethically navigate the mass amounts of information in its various formats that can be easily reproduced in todays world. Learn about copyright on this page and then click on the Fair Use tab to learn about limitations and exemptions for copyright liability.
What is copyrightable?
Copyright is automatic.
Duration of copyright.
Learn about the rights of the copyright holder by clicking on the "Rights of Copyright Holders" tab.
In most instances the copyright owner is the author of the work and has exclusive rights to do and authorize the following:
Reproduction Rights.
Derivative Works.
Distribution Rights.
In the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly;
In the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and
In the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
The information presented in this guide is not intended to be legal advice or to replace the advice of legal counsel. Dickinson State University is not responsible for the content found on links to third party sites.