Copyright-- May 2026

: Original works like books, articles, music, paintings, photographs, movies, and software.

: For individual authors in the U.S., protection typically lasts for the author's life plus 70 years. Fair Use and Public Domain Copyright--

: Ideas, facts, systems, methods, titles, or short phrases. It only protects the specific expression of an idea, not the idea itself. : Original works like books, articles, music, paintings,

Copyright is a legal protection for original creative works that are "fixed" in a tangible form, such as being written down, recorded, or saved to a computer. This protection gives the creator exclusive rights to control how their work is used, including the right to copy, distribute, and perform it. It only protects the specific expression of an

: In many jurisdictions, including the U.S., copyright exists automatically the moment a work is fixed in a tangible medium. You do not need to register it or use the © symbol for protection to begin, though doing so offers additional legal benefits.