Copyright is part of the larger discussion of intellectual property. Below are answers to frequently asked questions along with the basic U.S. Code that reflects copyright and intellectual property holders' rights.
Intellectual property rights include copyright, trademarks, and patents, are important to the discussion of academic integrity, and are legally protected.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), intellectual property is "any mental creation: “inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs.”1
A copyrighted work is one that is original with a minimum level of creativity and "fixed" in some permanent medium (Title 17); and copyright provides the creator of a copyrighted work certain rights.
Why is knowing about copyright important? You want to make sure you are not using someone else's copyrighted work without permission, unless your use of it falls under certain exemptions (and then you'll want to be sure). And you may want to know if something you have created is protected under copyright law.
1. "Wha t is Intellectual Property?" WIPO, n.d., https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/intproperty/450/wipo_pub_450.pdf
For ODU policies on copyright ownership, see the Faculty and Employee manuals.
Links and Tips provided by Carla Myers, Coordinator of Scholarly Communications, Miami University, in Copyright Bootcamp 1: The Foundations [webinar], August 2021.