Unfortunately, the world is full of people ready to use someone else’s works as their own. It happens most often in music, but it also occurs with the written word, works of art, and many other things.
It’s important for people to protect themselves and their property with a copyright. Basically, what you do is register your works with the U.S. Copyright Office. They go through their records to make a determination that your created work is something truly original. If they agree that it is, you’re issued a copyright number and a stamped document as proof that you are the originator of said product.
From that point on, if anyone uses your creation, they have to pay you. If they use it without your permission, you can sue them, especially if they haven’t given you attribution for it. A copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years, which means you have lifetime protection in case someone hopes to outlast you. Even if they only sample a small piece of your original creation, you can sue for full remuneration of any monies that were earned.
From the Copyright Office itself, Section 106 of the copyright law provides the owner of copyright in a work the exclusive right:
* To reproduce the work in copies;
* To prepare derivative works based upon the work;
* To distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
* To perform the work publicly;
* To display the copyrighted work publicly
* In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
A copyright, therefore, can even be used for a sculpture or any other works of art. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about the copyright for the materials you use to create your original works.
