Copyright
Protecting original works of authorship.
3D Learning World
Interactive Visualizations
Topic Diagrams
What copyright protects vs does not
Copyright protects expression, not ideas.
Protected (Expression)
- Writings (books, periodicals)
- Art, drawings, photographs
- Music, motion pictures, performances
- Computer programs (source/object code)
- HTML code of a web page
Not Protected (Ideas)
- Underlying ideas behind a work
- General functional features (drop-down menus)
- Colors
- Concepts and functions
- Techniques reusable by competitors
Copyright protects original forms of expression — writings, art, photographs, music, motion pictures, performances, and computer programs. It does not protect the underlying ideas, general functional features like drop-down menus, or colors. A competitor can study techniques from a copyrighted work and reuse them in a different work without infringing.
Explanation: Copyright protects original forms of expression — writings, art, photographs, music, motion pictures, performances, and computer programs. It does not protect the underlying ideas, general functional features like drop-down menus, or colors. A competitor can study techniques from a copyrighted work and reuse them in a different work without infringing.