What is copyright law?

Copyright law is a set of legal regulations that protect original works of authorship. This includes literature, music, movies, software, artwork, photographs, or other creative works. Copyright law grants the author of a work exclusive rights to their works. These rights include the right to reproduce, distribute, display, perform, and create derivatives of the work. In North Carolina, the copyright belongs to the author or creator of the work from the moment it is created, and they do not need to register the work with the federal Copyright Office to be protected. In addition, even if the author does not explicitly state their copyright, it still exists and should be respected. Copyright law generally requires that people who want to use someone else’s work obtain permission from the author first, unless there is an exception that applies. Violation of copyright law can carry severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment.

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What is copyright law?

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