What Are the Exclusive Rights of Copyright in the USA?

It's important to know your rights as a creator.

Under US Copyright Law, the exclusive rights are as follows :

To reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords (physical or digital format).
To distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending.
To prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work.
a) In the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly.
b) In the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
In the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly.

When you create something, you are automatically granted all of these rights. It is not always necessary for you to register your works with the US Copyright Office. If your work is in tangible form, you can prove your ownership of the copyright. To learn more about US Copyright law, visit www.copyright.gov.

Interested in learning more? Check out our blog post, Copyright 101.

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Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. The content contained in this article is not legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific matter or matters.