A copyright gives its author exclusive rights to reproduce certain types of work for a specified period of time. Copyrights protect literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. Computer software is also covered by copyright laws. Copyright protection does have its limitations. Copyrights prohibit the reproduction of materials but not the ideas communicated. Also, in some cases, limited excerpts from copyrighted materials can be reproduced with appropriate acknowledgment without securing the permission of the author or copyright holder.
For more information, go to the Web site of the U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress U.S. Copyright Office. Phone: (202) 707-3000.
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