Representation for Copyright Law

Copyright law protects original works of authorship fixed in any tangible form or medium of expression. A copyright is right granted by the US government to authors for a limited time to exclude others from: reproducing works, distributing copies, publicly performing, or displaying works, making derivative works, and transmitting certain types of works over networks and broadcasts.

Copyright protects a variety of different types of works, including:

• Literary works, e.g., books, periodicals, manuscripts, films, tapes, and computer programs
• Musical works, including both the recording and the composition
• Dramatic works, including accompanying music (e.g., scripts and screenplays)
• Pantomimes and choreographic works
• Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works (e.g., fine, graphic, and applied art and art reproductions, photographs, prints, maps, models, and technical drawings)
• Motion pictures, video games, and other audiovisual works
• Sound recordings
• Architectural works

• Ideas, systems, methods, or processes
• US government works
• Typefaces, although copyright protection is available for computer programs that generate fonts and typefaces

For works created by authors, copyright protection lasts for 70 years after the author’s death

For “works for hire,” which are usually created as part of employment or under special commission, and for anonymous or pseudonymous works, copyright protection lasts 95 years after it is first published or 120 years after creation, whichever occurs first.