Copyright Clearance Center (way to ask permission and license works including AI)
Stanford University (fair use)
Since 1978, Copyright exists as soon as you express your original idea onto some tangible medium. Much of the difficulty with copyright law centers around the investigation into whether or not a particular work is subject to a copyright. This is particularly true for older works (those created prior to 1978) where copyright duration may depend on whether or not a renewal was sought and the attachment of a copyright may depend upon whether or not the copyright was registered or whether the work was published with notice of the copyright.
What works are Not subject to copyright?
- Non-tangible forms of expression
- Titles, names, short phrases, slogans, familiar symbols and designs
- Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices (distinguished from a description, an explanation, or an illustration)
- Calendars, height/weight charts, rulers and other lists or tables taken from common, public sources
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- Works published before January 1, 1923.
- Works published between 1923 and 1978 that do not contain a valid copyright notice.
- Works published between 1923 and 1978 for which the copyright was not renewed.
- Works authored by employees of the federal government.
- Works that the copyright owner has freely granted to the public domain.Works in the public domain:
The public domain includes:
- Works published before January 1, 1923.
- Works published between 1923 and 1978 that do not contain a valid copyright notice.
- Works published between 1923 and 1978 for which the copyright was not renewed.
- Works authored by employees of the federal government.
- Works that the copyright owner has freely granted to the public domain.
Term of Copyright:
Works created on or after January 1, 1978, the term of the copyright is the life of the author plus 70 years after the author’s death.
Defenses to Copyright Infringement:
The rules regarding Fair Use are covered in Section 107 of Title 17 of the United States Code concerning Copyright Law.
Some examples of Fair use include:
- Work is pre-1923.
- Work is transformative.
- Work was published between 1923 and 1976 without a copyright notice.
- Work was created by the US government.
- Work’s publisher gives permission to use the work (this is NOT the author).
- Work is a Federal statute.