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What is copyright–protected?

Items that are copyright-protected under 17 U.S.C. 102 include, but are not limited to: 

• Literary works
• Musical works, including any accompanying words
• Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
• Pantomimes and choreographic works
• Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
• Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
• Sound recordings
• Architectural works
• Computer software¹.

The following is a list of items that are not usually copyright-protected.  You always have to verify copyright status. An item may appear that it is on this list but may still be copyright-protected.

• Works that have not been fixed in a tangible form of expression (i.e., recorded or captured in print or electron form)
• Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents
• Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation or illustration
• Works consisting entirely of information that are natural or self-evident facts, containing no original authorship, such as the white pages of telephone books, standard calendars, height and weight charts, and tape measures and rulers
• Works created by the U.S. Government (as previously noted)
• Works in the public domain, including works with copyrights that have expired (generally older than 95 years).  Since a copyright notice is no longer required, the absence of the ©, especially for works published after 1978, does not necessarily mean the work is in the public domain².

NOTE: This does not mean there may not be some other type of legal protection such as “Trademark.”

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Contact Information

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Copyright Site Links

• USU Copyright Policy Main Page
• What is Copyright-Protected?
• Fair Use
• Determining Status/Finding Source
• Linking
• Copyright & Reserve
• FAQ About Copyright
• Additional Sites on Copyright
• Next Steps