Research Guides: Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC): Copyright

Types of Copyright

As the U.S. Copyright Office conveys, "Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression." Some examples of the types of works that might be copyrighted include:

Architecture
Audiovisual works
Choreographic Works
Dramatic work
Literary work
Musical works
Pictorial, graphic or sculptural works
Software
Sound recordings

Registration with the US Copyright Office is not required, but does have benefits.

Resources

The Ohio State University Libraries Copyright Services
"Copyright Services supports Ohio State faculty, staff, and students by providing education and guidance on the application of copyright law to facilitate teaching, research, and scholarship." They also answer questions from the public and provide guidance as bandwidth allows.
U.S. Copyright Office
"The U.S. Copyright Office promotes creativity and free expression by administering the nation’s copyright laws and by providing impartial, expert advice on copyright law and policy for the benefit of all." Their site provides resources to help you understand copyright law, search copyrighted resources, register your own copyright and more.
Copyright Policy (USPTO)
The USPTO site includes information on Copyright Basics (including an online training module on an 'Overview of Copyright'), information on international copyright agreements and more.
Copyright Law of the United States
"This publication contains the text of Title 17 of the United States Code, including all amendments enacted by Congress through December 23, 2022. ... The United States copyright law is contained in chapters 1 through 8 and 10 through 12 of Title 17 of the United States Code."

Copyright Registration Process

Registration Tutorials
The U.S. Copyright Office has ten tutorials walking you through the copyright registration process.
Registration Portal
This is the actual registration portal from the U.S. Copyright Office.

Public Domain

Center for the Study of the Public Domain
The purpose of this center is "to promote research and scholarship on the contributions of the public domain to speech, culture, science and innovation, to promote debate about the balance needed in our intellectual property system and to translate academic research into public policy solutions."
Copyright Term and the Public Domain
From the Cornell Copyright Services guide, this page charts copyright terms and when works published at various points in history might have/will enter the public domain. This is a place to start, but you'll likely need to do more research on your own to determine the status of a particular publication.

Related Guides

Copyright Basics - The Ohio State University
"The information and resources in this guide will help you better understand your rights and responsibilities in creating and using copyrighted materials."
Copyright Support - Cornell University
While this guide is from the Copyright Services Office at Cornell University, it also has lots of information that could be useful to anyone interested in learning more about copyright and use as both a creator and/or user of content.