Copyright Requirements

Federal law grants copyright protection to “an original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression.”

must be an original work of authorship
- A work is original if it is not copied from another source
- Works that are created completely from publicly known facts, with no other original material, are not copyrightable
must in a fixed form (e.g., written down or recorded)
- Works that are created completely from publicly known facts, with no other original material, are not copyrightable

What Can Be Copyrighted

Almost anything can be copyrighted
- most materials posted to the internet are protected by copyright
- most informational and advertising materials posted on websites by businesses and organizations are subject to copyright
- Blog posts and personal websites also are protected
A copyright is used to protect almost any creative endeavor
- called a work
- do not have to be new or novel
- do not have to be good or aesthetically pleasing
- E.g., books, art, music, videos, computer programs, and any other creative work
Works that can be copyrighted:
- Literary works
- Musical works
- Dramatic works
- Pantomimes and choreographic works
- Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
- Motion picture and audiovisual works
- Sound recordings
- Architectural works

mere ideas on their own
useful articles (things) that can be patented
Works that are in the public domain
- The public domain refers to the body of works that are free for public use
- information available on the internet is not necessarily in the public domain