Copyright protects the creators of original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works ( Title 17, U.S. Code). The protection extends to both published and unpublished material. "Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following" ( Copyright Basics, US Copyright Office):
To reproduce the work
To prepare derivative works
To distribute copies of the work
To perform the work publicly
To display the work publicly
Copyright law makes it illegal for anyone to violate these rights, but the law allows for certain limitations on creators' exclusive rights:
