What is a Copyright?

Copyrights protect original works of authorship, such as software, writings, musical works, sound recordings, and other works of art.

Copyright protection prevents others from duplicating, preparing derivative works, distributing, or publicly performing copyrighted, such as songs, without the owner’s permission. Copyright protection is longer than for patents, currently 70 years from the author’s death.

Who owns copyright in works of university researchers?

In the academic tradition, copyrights in textbooks vest with the faculty author. Copyrights in faculty works such as a computer program that optimizes a telephone network, for example, would belong to the University, if the works were developed using more than incidental use of university resources or developed under a university Sponsored Research Program.

How does registering a copyright affect my rights?

Copyright will automatically apply as soon as the work is fixed in a tangible form. Registration is not required. However, the copyright must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office before enforcement actions can be taken.