Copyright Laws and Regulations Vocabulary

Copyright

A form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.

Fair Use Doctrine

A guideline that determines how much of a copyrighted item can legally be used without permission.

Patent

A monopoly granted by the U.S. Patent Office for a limited time to the creator of a new invention.

Trademark

A word or symbol used to identify a product or service in the marketplace.

First Sale Doctrine

Allows a purchaser to transfer a lawfully made copy of the copyrighted work without permission once it has been obtained. A copyright holder's rights to control the change of ownership of a particular work end once that copy is sold, as long as no additional copies are made.

Permission

Consent to use a work, usually by reprinting or reproducing it in some other work.

Phonorecords

Digital phonorecords are a relatively new technology that allows musical works to be played, recorded, and stored in digital format for use on computers or other devices.

Intellectual Property

Intangible property that is a product of the imagination (i.e., copyrights, trademarks, and patents).

Plagiarism

To steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own, or to use another's production without crediting the source.

Public Domain

Works for which copyright protection has expired, and works created by officers or employees of the U.S. government as part of their government jobs.