Baruchnewmedia:Copyrights

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Copyrights

Extracted from Copyrights

What is a Copyright?

A copyright is one the main branches of intellectual property. It protects the “form of expression of ideas”, not the actual idea. In other words, it is the creative choice of content arrangement, words, musical notes that are protected. It gives an owner property rights to the original work and prevents others from copying it or using it the way the author had uniquely expressed it. Doing so without the owner’s authorization would be deemed illegal [1].

Protected Works

From Article 2 of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works [2] it states that artistic and literary work expressions include everything in the literary, scientific and artistic field. Expressions encompass a wide selection of forms or modes, some of which are listed below:

• Books and pamphlets
• Addresses and sermons
• Dramatic works
• Musical compositions
• Drawings, paintings and sculptures
• Computer programs
• Multimedia productions

The last two were types of works that were not included in the Berne Convention [3]. However, they are still protected under copyright laws because they have “authors.”

Protected Rights

Copyrights entitle authors exclusive use of their work. Anyone who wants to use it must get authorization from the owner or else it is illegal. To name a few prohibitions or authorizations an owner can make, they are the reproduction of the work, copy distribution, public performance or adaptations to a screenplay.

Under this branch of intellectual property, are economic and moral rights. The monetary benefits of the owner by the use of his or her work are granted by economic rights. Moral rights enable an owner to take action to keep a link between self and artistic work.[4]

For further reading on the United States Copyright Law:

The U.S. Copyright Law

More On Copyrights & Ethics

1. New Media Ethics and Law
2. Intellectual Property Law and New Media