Copyright

Copyrights, along with patents, are constitutionally based intellectual property rights. Common law copyrights also exist, but, like with state trademarks, afford far less protection to their owners than federally registered copyrights.  According to 17 U.S.C. 102: 

(a) Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:

(1) literary works;

(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;

(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;

(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;

(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;

(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;

(7) sound recordings; and

(8) architectural works.

(b) In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.

In other words, copyright protects the expression of ideas (among other things) rather than factual statements of them.  Copyright law is exceedingly contextual, yet registering federal copyrights is comparatively affordable.   Gompers IP Services can navigate through the thicket of copyright law and give an artist the piece of mind coming from properly secured rights.  Further, we can advise on the ever problematic "fair use" issues inherent in the creative arts.  We also handle DCMA (Digitial Millenium Copyright Act) issues.