The Rights Copyright Gives

版权所有人有权做以下事情，在美国.S. copyright law:

• Make copies of the work
• 分发作品的副本(通过出售、出租、出借或赠送)
• Perform or display the work publicly
• 创作衍生作品，比如翻译、改编和重新诠释

版权所有者可以将这些权利部分或全部转让给其他人或实体, by transferring ownership or granting licenses. 所有权或许可权可以由任何数量的人或实体共享.  

(17 U.S.C. § 106)

What Copyright Protects

上述版权仅适用于以下八种类型之一的作品: 17 U.S.C. § 102(a)

• literary works
• musical works, including accompanying words
• dramatic works, including accompanying music
• pantomimes and choreographic works
• pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
• motion pictures and other audiovisual works
• sound recordings
• architectural works

符合上述类别之一的作品也必须“固定在一种有形的表达媒介中”——也就是说, 以某种形式保存，以便有资格获得版权保护. 几乎任何东西都是“固定的”——黑板或白板上的画, or a file saved in a computer’s memory would qualify. 然而，即兴演讲或音乐等非固定作品不受版权保护.

A work also must include original creative expression to qualify for protection. 对创意的要求相对较低，但仅仅“心血来潮”是不够的. For example, 按字母顺序列出所有诺贝尔奖得主的名单可能需要一些工作, but it doesn’t really contain any original expression. By contrast, if you add annotations and commentary to that list, 你可以拥有注释和评论的版权.

What Copyright Doesn't Protect

Copyright does not apply to: 17 U.S.C. § 102(b)

• Procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation. 这些可能符合专利法保护和所有权的条件, and patent and copyright do not usually overlap.
• Ideas, concepts, principles, or discoveries. 一般来说，在任何形式的美国法律下，这些都是不可拥有的.S. intellectual property law. 
• Titles, names, short phrases and slogans; familiar symbols or designs, mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, mere listings of ingredients or contents (32 CFR § 202.1这些被认为不符合原创性的要求.
• Other unoriginal or unfixed works

More info on what copyright doesn’t do, from the U.S. Copyright Office:

• What Does Copyright Protect?
• 版权保护不适用于名称、标题或短语

How to Get Copyright

今天的创作者不需要做任何事情就能获得他们创作的内容的版权.  任何符合条件的作品，从它第一次被“固定在有形的表达媒介上”——以某种物理或数字格式记录——的那一刻起，就自动受到版权的保护.  出版并不是版权保护的必要条件, and even formal registration is purely optional. 也没有要求包括版权声明, date, the “circled c” © symbol, 或任何其他信息的工作，以拥有版权.

Copyrights can be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office 任何合法所有人，在版权保护期内的任何时间. There is a nominal fee for registration, 并将作品副本交存版权局.   注册对商业作品和可能对侵权行为采取法律行动的版权所有者最有用.  More information is available in the Copyright Office FAQ.

How Long Copyrights Last

For works created today, 作品一经创作，版权保护便自动开始, and lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator.

因为版权条款已经改变了好几次, the term lengths for older works vary widely, based on many factors. 

Adapted and used under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license from the University of Minnesota Libraries.  任何由大峡谷州立大学图书馆制作的原创内容都将在相同的版权保护协议下发布 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.

This website presents information about copyright law. 大学图书馆尽一切努力确保这些信息的准确性，但不提供咨询或法律意见. 就你的具体情况向律师咨询.