Copyright is a form of legal protection that provides authors of original creative works with limited control over the reproduction and distribution of their work. It gives copyright holders a set of exclusive rights to reproduce the work, in whole or in part, distribute copies of the work, publicly perform the work, publicly display the work, and prepare derivative works based on the original, such as translations or adaptations. These rights are subject to expectations and limitations, such as "fair use", which allow limited uses of works without the permission of the copyright holder.
What can be given a copyright?
Literary works, musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works, artistic works, including cartoons and comic strips; pictorial, graphic, sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, sound recordings, architectural works
Note: These categories should be viewed broadly. For example, computer programs and most “compilations” may be registered as “literary works”; maps and architectural plans may be registered as “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works."
Copyright Office. (2017) Copyright Basics (Circular 1). Retrieved from https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf
"Copyright Wordle" by teachingsagittarian is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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Portions of this research guide have been copied or adapted from research guides from the following institutions, with their permissons: Reynolds Community College, Miami Dade College - Padron campus, and Seton Hall University.
Portions of this guide are from NYU Libraries with the use of a Creative Commons license. 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Portions of this research guide are from Stony Brook University Libraries and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Figure 1.1 is from Butler, R. (2014). Copyright for academic librarians and professionals. Chicago: American Library Association.
Legal disclaimer: this copyright guide is not meant to offer legal advice; it is intended for informational and educational purposes only.
Please give attribution to the University of Minnesota Crookston
