Copyright+Law

What is Copyright?
Copyright is protection provided by law ([|title 17, U.S. Code]) to the authors/creators of “original works of authorship,” expressed in any tangible medium. This protection is available for original works from the moment they are created and expressed in a tangible medium, and it applies whether they are published, unpublished, or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Purpose
The primary purpose of copyright law is not so much to protect the interests of the authors/creators, but to promote the progress of science and the useful arts. To accomplish this purpose, copyright ownership encourages authors/creators in their efforts by granting them ownership of exclusive rights for a specified length of time. However, ownership is somewhat limited when it conflicts with an overriding public interest, such as encouraging new creative and intellectual works, or the necessity for some members of the public to make a single copy of a work for non profit, educational purposes(Fair Use).