What is copyright?

Copyright is a form of legal protection for the author or creator of a work, such as a book, play, or film. It is a type of intellectual property that exists to protect the authors and creators from having their work stolen or unlawfully used without their permission. In Washington, copyright is protected under federal law, such as the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. This law grants exclusive rights to the author or creator of the work and prohibits others from using the work without their permission. The copyright law protects the work for the life of the author, plus an additional 70 years after their death. Copyright covers all original works, including artistic creations, creative works, and other creative works. This includes musical works, dramatic works, pantomimes, choreographic works, audio recordings, photographs, sculptures, paintings, drawings, and other creative works. The copyright holder has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display the work, and to create adaptations of the work called derivatives. Anyone who wishes to use a copyrighted work in any of these ways must obtain permission from the copyright holder. Copyright infringement is a serious offense and can result in legal action and fines.

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What is copyright?

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