Copyright refers to the exclusive legal rights granted by the government to a creator (such as an author, editor, compiler, composer, playwright, or publisher) to publish, produce, sell, or distribute copies of a literary, musical, dramatic, artistic, or other work.
In the United States, copyright exists under the United States Constitution, Art. I, §8 "[t]o promote the progress of science and useful arts." The copyright law, enacted by Congress, is contained in Title 17 of the U.S. Code.
For reference, see:
Copyright protection is broad. Under 17 U.S.C. §102, copyright applies to "original works of authorship" that are "fixed in any tangible medium of expression . . . from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated." The term "authorship" does not limit copyright to books -- copyright applies to a broad range of works, including books, plays, movies, music, choreography, and architectural works.
Copyright protects a work in the specific form in which it is created, not the idea, theme, or concept expressed in the work, which others are free to interpret in a different way.
For reference, see:
Under 17 U.S.C. §106, the owner of a copyright has certain exclusive rights to the use of the copyrighted material, including the rights
For reference, see:
"A Fair(y) Use Tale" is a video created by Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University which applies fair use and uses clips of Disney movies to explain copyright.
