What is Copyright?
Copyright is protection provided by law (17, U.S. Code §102) to the authors/creators of “original works of authorship,” expressed in a tangible medium. This protection is available for original works from the moment they are created in a tangible medium, and it applies whether they are published, unpublished or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Copyright protection is available for an author/creator if three requirements are met:
1. Fixation—the work exists in a medium from which the author’s expression can be read, seen, or heard, either directly or by the aid of a machine
2. Originality—the work owes its origin and independent creation to an author
3. Minimal creativity—the work is the product of at least a minimal level of creativity