Thank you for visiting the Bellevue University Library Copyright Center, where we are ready to guide you on your path to understanding copyright. This guide offers numerous resources, including links to sites, tutorials and quizzes, frequently asked questions, and feature articles that will inform you about copyright.
Do you have a copyright question? Ask me by sending an email to copyright@bellevue.edu, or reaching out via my contact information. You can also submit your question using our Copyright Request form.
Need a refresh on copyright basics? Check out the new feature article below for a rundown on copyright!
Though copyright can feel woefully wearying, this article provides an overview of the Who–What–When–Where–How—and Why of copyright, in order to offer a navigable path toward understanding.
What pops into your head when I say “copyright”? What feeling is evoked? For many, the feeling is confusion. On social media, when people are looking for an easy, quick answer to life’s complicated problems, the trend is that copyright elicits a muddle of puzzling ideas, and dismay that the answer is not simply presented. Posted questions (these are from Reddit) to the Internet include:
photo by He Junhui on Unsplash; modified by Jean Turman
We know that looking to social media for expertise is ill-advised (but we do it anyway). In the case of copyright, it confirms our fears that we’re stepping into a muddy morass. So to help us navigate the questions that surround copyright and put us on track to gain confident answers, The Copyright Center is here to help! The Bellevue University Library Copyright Center is in the process of breathing some fresh features to life, and we’re starting off with an overview of copyright basics here, where we’ll briefly discuss the Who–What–When–Where–How—and Why.
Up next >> WHO?
Here is actually a simple answer: EVERYONE owns copyright! Specifically, if you’ve created a tangible, creative work of writing, music, art, or other unique creation, the copyright is yours. Today, just the fact that your expression is your own and you’ve fixed it in some tangible form that can be shared, you are in possession of the copyright, worldwide, immediately!
Of course, the terrain is not super smooth. There are details to discuss, like what does it mean to be a unique expression, and what is a tangible form. But basically, the ownership of your work is yours, and you’re immediately granted the copy rights of a copyright holder.
Up next >> WHAT?
There are some things that are not copyrightable. You can’t copyright an idea, or a list of ingredients. It does not apply to a(n):
| idea | system | method of operation |
| procedure | concept | discovery (Copyright.gov, §102b) |
| process | principle |
But if you write down or record your idea for a story, a play, or a song (literary, dramatic, or musical works); or if you create an expression in a form like a sculpture or painting; or if you write computer code into a program, that creative work you’ve made is copywritten—as long as it’s an “original work of authorship” (Copyright.gov, §102) with a spark of creativity, or originality.
The basic list of rights held by an author upon creation of their work are as follows:
These are exclusive rights held by the author of the work. The author has the right to use their own work commercially or to distribute it for free or for lease. No one else is granted these exclusive rights outside of the author(s). However, the author can decide to enter into agreements with a publisher or distributor in order to expand the reach of their own work, and may thus decide to transfer all or some of their exclusive rights to that agent.
up next >> WHEN?
We discussed previously that copyright is granted to the author immediately upon fixing the work in a tangible form. It doesn’t require publication. As I’m typing this article and saving it to my hard drive, I would be immediately designated as the copyright owner. (There are exceptions: I am writing this article as part of my regular job. In this case, my employer, the Bellevue University Library, is the copyright holder.)
Copyright is long lasting so as to allow great commercial potential to the copyright holder. If I wanted to publish my articles in a book or on a website, I would be able to earn money from that endeavor for the entirety of my life and for 70 years beyond. Renewal is also possible. At the end of the copyright or renewal term, the work goes into the public domain and can be used freely by everyone: the author’s exclusive rights have terminated.
The takeaway for copyright term is: The author’s life + 70 years
up next >> WHERE?
There are global treaties in place to honor your copyright around the world. And, author works from around the world equally are copywritten and those author’s rights are protected in the U.S. and other territories (laws can vary from region to region, so always check). Copyright and intellectual property concerns are ongoing, nuanced, and ever-evolving. Court cases occur regularly, so keep this in mind and keep up to date on your rights. The U.S. Copyright Office publishes numerous documents and reports to ensure you can stay informed.
up next >> HOW?
Yes, your copyrights are granted immediately and with no need to register. But copyright registration does set you up with particular enhancements and substantiated legal protections, and it’s easy and affordable! The USCO Registration Portal will ask you to complete a form, upload a tangible copy, and submit a small fee. You’ll be given a case number and can track your work’s status. You’ll even receive documentation showing your work registered in the name you entered.
You are not required to show proof of copyright with a symbol or registration, but you may. It can be helpful for the world audience-at-large to see that a work is copywritten and who holds the copyright. When various consumers want to seek permission to use your work, that will make it easier to find you!
up next >> WHY?
Copyright seems so complicated, can it really be worth my time? The answer here is also easy: YES!!
We know that copyrights are granted freely and immediately. So when we create a copyrightable work, it is in our own best interests (personally, professionally, academically, financially) to understand our rights and their limitations. The copyright ecosystem grants each of us a fixed, short-term monopoly for our works, encouraging us to create and fully realize our talents how we deem fit. We have our entire lives and then some to make full use—how we desire—of our creative works! Once beyond the life+70 basic copyright term, we are all contributing to a great wealth of shared content that comprises the public domain—it is a vast pool of public expression and inspiration just waiting for you to dip your toes!
One, two, three…!
photo by Rob Hayman on Unsplash
As you can see, there is a lot to know about copyright and how to use it. My name is Jean, and I’m the Scholarly Communications and Archives Librarian at Freeman/Lozier Library and I’m here to assist with your copyright questions. Take a look around our Copyright Center, and even peruse the U.S. Copyright and the Library of Congress sites. Contact me at jturman@bellevue.edu if you have any questions.
up next >> Resources
Reference
Copyright.gov. (December, 2024). U.S. Copyright Law, Title 17 of the United States Code. Retrieved from Copyright Law of the United States | U.S. Copyright Office
Photos
Capybara: looking down on a sleepy capybara with closed eyes standing on a wood floor, with a thought bubble that asks, “Copybara?” by He Junhui on Unsplash; modified by Jean Turman
Child: a child in a diaper holding arms high above the head, standing in a shallow river in a natural area, by Rob Hayman on Unsplash