Changes

'''Copyright''' is federal [[law|legal]] protection for the rights of authors in their works for a limited time period.  Copyright law is federal law enacted under the authority of the [[Copyright Clause]] in the [[Constitution]], "to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for a limited Time to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

 

'''Copyright''' is federal [[law|legal]] protection for the rights of authors in their works for a limited time period.  Copyright law (title 17, U.S. Code) is federal law enacted under the authority of the [[Copyright Clause]] in the [[Constitution]], "to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for a limited Time to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

 

Under Section 105 of the copyright law, "Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the [[United States]] Government, but the United States Government is not precluded from receiving and holding copyrights transferred to it by assignment, bequest, or otherwise."

Under Section 105 of the copyright law, "Copyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the [[United States]] Government, but the United States Government is not precluded from receiving and holding copyrights transferred to it by assignment, bequest, or otherwise."

All court decisions and statutes, whether federal, state or local, are in the public domain and may be fully copied.  Even pagination inserted into opinions by private publishers is [[fair use]] and may be copied.<ref>''Matthew Bender & Co. v. West Publishing Co.'', 158 F.3d 693 (2d Cir. 1998).</ref>

All court decisions and statutes, whether federal, state or local, are in the public domain and may be fully copied.  Even pagination inserted into opinions by private publishers is [[fair use]] and may be copied.<ref>''Matthew Bender & Co. v. West Publishing Co.'', 158 F.3d 693 (2d Cir. 1998).</ref>

For Conservapedia's copyright policy, see [[Conservapedia:Copyright]].

 

 

 

In addition, certain authors of works of visual art have the rights of attribution and integrity as described in section 106A of the 1976 Copyright Act. For further information, request Circular 40, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts.

 

It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of copyright. These rights, however, are not unlimited in scope. Sections 107 through 121 of the 1976 Copyright Act establish limitations on these rights. In some cases, these limitations are specified exemptions from copyright liability. One major limitation is the doctrine of “fair use,” which is given a statutory basis in section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act. In other instances, the limitation takes the form of a “compulsory license” under which certain limited uses of copyrighted works are permitted upon payment of specified royalties and compliance with statutory conditions. For further information about the limitations of any of these rights, consult the copyright law or write to the Copyright Office.

 

*Note: Sound recordings are defined in the law as “works that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, but not including the sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work.” Common examples include recordings of music, drama, or lectures. A sound recording is not the same as a phonorecord. A phonorecord is the physical object in which works of authorship are embodied. The word “phonorecord” includes cassette tapes, CDs, LPs, 45 r.p.m. disks, as well as other formats.

== References ==

== References ==

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[[category:law]][[category:legal terms]]

[[category:law]][[category:legal terms]]