3.5 Rights and Term

Copyright ownership grants creators exclusive rights over their work, shaping how it's used and shared. These rights include reproduction, adaptation, distribution, public performance, public display, and digital audio transmission, forming the foundation of copyright protection.

Copyright duration varies based on the type of creator. For individuals, it lasts their lifetime plus 70 years. Joint works extend 70 years after the last author's death. Works for hire have different terms, and once expired, works enter the public domain.

Copyright Ownership Rights and Term

Six exclusive rights of copyright

Top images from around the web for Six exclusive rights of copyright

• 

  School Librarian in Action: Infographics on Philippine Copyright View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Week 3: Audio-Slides “The Rights of Copyright Owners” | IP Law 422 001 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  IPR and Digital World - International Journal of Legal Science and Innovation View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  School Librarian in Action: Infographics on Philippine Copyright View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Week 3: Audio-Slides “The Rights of Copyright Owners” | IP Law 422 001 View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Six exclusive rights of copyright

• 

  School Librarian in Action: Infographics on Philippine Copyright View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Week 3: Audio-Slides “The Rights of Copyright Owners” | IP Law 422 001 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  IPR and Digital World - International Journal of Legal Science and Innovation View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  School Librarian in Action: Infographics on Philippine Copyright View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Week 3: Audio-Slides “The Rights of Copyright Owners” | IP Law 422 001 View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Reproduction right grants copyright owners the ability to make copies of their copyrighted work (books, music, films)
• Adaptation right allows copyright owners to prepare derivative works based on their original copyrighted work includes translations (Spanish version of a novel), musical arrangements (orchestral version of a pop song), dramatizations (stage play based on a book), and other adaptations
• Distribution right enables copyright owners to distribute copies of their work to the public by various means such as sale (selling books in a store), rental (renting DVDs), lease, or lending (library lending books)
• Public performance right grants copyright owners the ability to perform their copyrighted work publicly applies to literary (poetry readings), musical (concerts), dramatic (plays), and choreographic works (dance performances), as well as motion pictures (film screenings) and other audiovisual works
• Public display right allows copyright owners to display their copyrighted work publicly pertains to literary (displaying a poem on a poster), musical (displaying sheet music), dramatic (displaying set designs), and choreographic works (displaying dance notation), as well as pictorial (displaying paintings), graphic (displaying illustrations), and sculptural works (displaying statues)
• Digital audio transmission right grants copyright owners the right to perform sound recordings publicly through digital audio transmission (streaming music services)
• These exclusive rights form the basis for copyright protection and potential copyright infringement claims

Copyright terms for different creators (copyright duration)

• Individual authors
  • Copyright term extends for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years after the author's death (J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series)
• Joint works
  • Created by two or more authors who intend for their contributions to be merged into a single work (songwriting duo)
  • Copyright term lasts for the life of the last surviving author plus an additional 70 years (Lennon-McCartney songs)
• Works for hire
  • Work created by an employee within the scope of their employment (software developed by a company's programmer) or commissioned works falling under specific categories with a signed agreement (commissioned photography for a magazine)
  • Copyright term lasts for 95 years from the date of first publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first
• After copyright expiration, works enter the public domain

First-sale doctrine and distribution

• First-sale doctrine limits the exclusive distribution right of copyright owners
• Allows purchasers of lawfully made copies of copyrighted works to sell, lend, or dispose of their particular copy without permission from the copyright owner (selling a used book)
• Copyright owner's control over distribution is limited to the first sale of each copy
• Purchasers can resell (used bookstores), lend (libraries), or give away (gifting a DVD) their copies without infringing on the copyright owner's distribution right
• Enables the existence of secondary markets for copyrighted works (online marketplaces for used textbooks)

Copyright limitations and exceptions

• Fair use doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research
• Licensing agreements allow copyright owners to grant specific permissions for use of their work, often in exchange for payment or royalties