Copyright term: The duration of copyright, measured from the date of first publication for works published before 1978, or by the life of the author for unpublished works and works first published after 1977. The current duration of copyright for the work of an individual author is the life of the author, plus 70 years. For corporate works, the current…

Understanding our nation’s copyright law is important, but also complex. The below glossary of key copyright terms is a resource to help promote informed discussions about copyright policy.  The US Copyright Office: Housed within the Library of Congress, the US Copyright Office (USCO) is the United States government body that creates and maintains records of copyright registrations and other transactions, provides deposit…

The US Copyright Office: Housed within the Library of Congress, the US Copyright Office (USCO) is the United States government body that creates and maintains records of copyright registrations and other transactions, provides deposit copies of registered works to the Library of Congress, provides copyright information to the public, and provides expert advice to Congress, the Judiciary, and federal agencies….

In a time when local, independent and fact-based news is more critical than ever, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) offers the wrong solution to the challenges facing news reporters and publishers. While action is needed to adequately support local journalism, the JCPA would do more harm than good.  As currently written, the JCPA establishes a new, unconstitutional “access…

Understanding our nation’s copyright law is important, but also complex. Re:Create’s glossary of key copyright terms is a resource to help promote informed discussions about copyright policy. Scenes-a-faire: Scenes-a-faire are scenes or elements in a genre of copyrighted works that are common, customary, or even obligatory in that genre. For example, the “meet cute” scene is ubiquitous in romantic comedies. In copyright…

Understanding our nation’s copyright law is important, but also complex. Re:Create’s glossary of key copyright terms is a resource to help promote informed discussions about copyright policy. DMCA Section 512 Safe Harbors: The DMCA safe harbors refer to legal protections for those on the internet that host, store, transmit, locate, or cache content uploaded by others. The power of the internet…