Copyright Law Basics Quiz

The expression of an idea, not the idea itself.

A work created by collecting, arranging, and coordinating pre-existing materials/data, resulting in an original work of authorship.

Facts themselves are not copyrightable.

Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the underlying idea itself.

Copyright does not protect a work if the idea can only be expressed in one way.

Copyright does not protect predictable or commonly used expressions of an idea.

Copyright exists once a work is fixed in a tangible form.

Copyrighted work is intangible – something that exists in abstract form.

Protection granted to film characters if they are unique and different from common characters. Their appearance, actions, story, and personality must be distinctive.

Features of a film character that become common knowledge thanks to publicity materials (like photos) entering the public realm.

Copyright protection for an artistic work lasted 28 years from publication, renewable once for another 28 years.

For works created after 1978, duration is the author's life plus 70 years.

If a work has multiple authors who did not work as a team (on the same work) – the copyright lasts for the life of the last surviving author plus 70 years.

Copyright duration is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation (whichever is shorter) for anonymous, pseudo, or work for hire creations.

Taking public-domain images from different sources and putting them together to create a new work can also be considered copyright infringement.

Changed the copyright duration scheme for works created after 1978. Previous durations were now outdated, and new calculations had to be made to match the copyright duration.

The second 28-year period of copyright protection under the 1909 Copyright Act, which could be renewed by the author or their heirs.

A new work based on an existing copyrighted work, such as a movie adaptation of a book.

The right of authors or their heirs to reclaim copyright ownership after a certain period of time, reverting control to the original owner.

The transfer of ownership of copyright from the author to another party, such as a publisher or film studio.

The ability of authors or their heirs to terminate a copyright transfer granted after January 1, 1978.

This Act, also known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, extended copyright terms for works published from 1964 to 1977, preventing them from entering the public domain due to non-renewal.

A system where copyright holders could renew their copyrights to extend their protection. This system was eventually made automatic by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992.

An international treaty that establishes minimum standards for copyright protection among its signatory countries, ensuring that works from one member country are protected in all other member countries.

A core principle of the Berne Convention, ensuring that works originating from one signatory country receive the same copyright protection in other signatory countries as works from those countries.

Another key principle of the Berne Convention, stating that copyright protection is automatically granted to works, without any formal registration or other requirements.

A principle of the Berne Convention, stating that copyright protection is independent of the protection in the country of origin. It means that a work is protected even if it is not protected in its country of origin.

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the Copyright Term Extension Act, arguing that the Berne Convention does not require a specific term of copyright protection.

The Berne Convention guarantees that works originating from one signatory country receive the same level of copyright protection in all other signatory countries as the works of their own nationals.

A process where joint authors or their heirs can terminate a copyright grant based on the Copyright Act of 1976, gaining control of their work again.

A formal notification to licensees that joint authors or their heirs intend to terminate a copyright grant under the Copyright Act of 1976.

Formal registration of the intended copyright termination date with the U.S. Copyright Office.

The Copyright Act establishes specific timeframes for copyright termination, varying based on the date of the original grant.

After termination, joint authors or their heirs can re-grant the copyright to a new licensee, often in a new agreement.

Regranting rights after termination for works created before January 1, 1978, falls under Section 304.

Regranting rights after termination for works created after January 1, 1978, falls under Section 203.

The date when the copyright termination becomes legally effective, protecting licensees until that date.

The principle that copyright law allows authors or their heirs two chances to benefit from their work: an initial term and a renewal term.

The right to extend the copyright term for a work after the initial term expires.

A landmark copyright case that determined that authors can assign their renewal rights before the initial copyright term expires.

The US copyright law in effect from 1909 to 1978. It provided for a 28-year initial term and a 28-year renewal term.

The transfer of an author's right to renew their copyright to another party, usually a publisher.

The copyright duration for works created after 1978 is the author's life plus 70 years.

For works created anonymously or pseudonymously, or as work for hire, copyright duration is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

The initial period of copyright protection for a work, lasting either the author's life plus 70 years or 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

Copyright for unpublished works created before 1978 endures for at least the life of the author plus 70 years, or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.