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Research Fundamentals Tutorial

Copyright protections

When you own a work’s copyright you’re allowed to:  

  • Make and publish copies of the work.
  • Sell or give out copies of the work.
  • Create new works based on the copyrighted work.
  • Display or perform the work for the public.
  • Post recordings of the work online.

Works can be copyrighted if they are tangible meaning that they can be written down, recorded, or produced in some way that others can read, see, hear, or consume.

Copyrighted works include:

  • Literature
  • Musical works
  • Dramatic works
  • Choreographed works
  • Images
  • Audio visual and film
  • Sound recordings
  • Architectural works
  • Computer software

Not protected by copyright:

  • Ideas or other works that are not fixed (i.e. tangible)
  • Facts
  • Titles, names, slogans
  • Lists of ingredients or contents
  • Government publications
  • Works for which the copyright has expired
  • Works in the public domain