A copyright protects the writings or any other artistic work of an author or artist against copying and other forms of artistic piracy and plagiarism.

Copyrighted material produced after January 1, 1978 has a term of the author's lifetime plus seventy (70) years. If two or more authors are involved, then the fifty years commences after the last surviving author's death. For works made for hire, the copyright duration is ninety-five (95) years from publication or one hundred twenty (120) years from creation, whichever is shorter. Copyrights cover literature, music (including words), drama, choreographic works, artwork including sculpture, motion pictures and audio visual works, sound recordings and architectural works. The works must be written or recorded in some manner. Copyrights are not used to cover titles, names, short phrases including slogans, familiar symbols or designs, variations of typographical ornamentation, lettering or coloring, or mere lists of ingredients or contents. It is advisable that all copyrighted works be marked as such by a "C" in a circle or the word "Copyright" followed by the name of the owner of the copyright and the year and date. The use of the copyright notice is, in fact, optional for works published on or after March 1, 1989. But it is highly recommended. Sound recordings are marked with a "P" in a circle followed by the year date and the name of the owner of the copyright.

U.S. Copyrights either extend automatically to foreign countries or can be obtained in foreign countries when this is authorized by applicable international treaties, conventions, and statutes, such as The Universal Copyright Convention, The Berne Convention, and The Uruguay Round Agreement Act.