What are the Creators Copyrights

If you are the creator and owner of an original work, you are granted certain exclusive rights under the Copyright Act. This means you may license each of the following rights separately, and enforce them

• Reproduce your copyright work - as many copies of your work as you like and apply it to any other work in whole or part.
• Prepare derivative works based on your copyrighted works - for instance create an article from an extract in your book, or create a button graphic on your website, then alter its color and texture for use as other buttons on the site.
• Distribute copies of your copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership AND prevent others from doing so, unless agreed in a license
• Perform your copyrighted work publicly in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works. As a multimedia publisher this means you can put your audios and videos online for others to play.
• Display your copyrighted work publicly in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work. For instance: You may display your work at an art gallery or on the Web.
• Sell or license any or all of these rights, in part or total.Most graphics may only be used for a specifed purpose and for limited duration. You retain all of your other exclusive copyrights in the work.

What is Not Protected by Copyright

Some things are not protected by copyright law, regardless of being in tangible form. This includes:

• Ideas, concepts and principles
• Systems, procedures and processes, methods of operation
• Lists of contact details, directories [except where compiled using a unique methodology.

Frumious Bandersnatch

An exception to copyright law is work 'made for hire'. In this case, the work does not belong to its creator - it belongs to whoever is paying for your time to complete the work - your employer, or client. If you wish to retain your copyright, you must ensure that this is specifically included in your employment contract or contract for service.

Copyright ownership of the person paying your remuneration can even apply to work done outside your job or during your own time. Standard employment agreements cover anything created during your term of employment.

Next: How To Get Copyright Protection

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