Original works of authorship
A copyright legally protects an original work of authorship that is fixed in a tangible medium. Some examples of copyrightable material are:
- Musical lyrics and sound recordings
- Paintings, sculptures and visual art
- Promotional brochures and pamphlets
- Poems, books and manuscript works
- Motion pictures and dramatic works
- Computer programs and source code
- Internet sites’ text and copyrightable appearance
Applications & certificates
The Law Offices of Todd Wengrovsky can prepare and file a copyright application with the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. After an application is approved, the Copyright Office issues a U.S. Copyright Certificate. Processing may take several months and varies by application.
Duration of protection
For many works created on or after January 1, 1978, protection generally lasts for the author’s life plus 70 years. Different rules apply to works made for hire, anonymous or pseudonymous works, and other categories.
Which term applies to your work?
The general rule of life plus 70 years does not apply to every category of work. Authorship, publication, and whether a work was made for hire can affect the applicable term.
U.S. Copyright Office: duration of protection ↗