What is copyright?

Copyright affords protection to the originators of creative works (such as written works, music, photographs, and drawings) from unauthorized reproduction and distribution.  In general, holders of a copyright have control over and the ability to authorize third parties to:-

• Reproduce the work in whole or in part
• Prepare derivative works, such as translations
• Distribute copies of the work by sale, gift, rental, or loan
• Publicly perform the work
• Publicly display the work

There are, however, limitations to the extent of these rights, including fair use provisions, which permits certain uses of the material without prior consent.  Fair use gives third parties the right to use material without permission for purposes such as news reporting, teaching, research and parody.