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Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

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copyright
A bundle of exclusive rights granted to the author of a creative work such as book, movie, song, painting, photograph, design, computer software, or architecture. These rights include the right to make copies, authorize others to make copies, make derivative works, sell and market the work, and perform the work. Any one of these rights can be sold or licensed separately through transfers of copyright ownership. Copyright rights are acquired automatically once the work is fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Registration of the work with the Copyright Office offers additional benefits to the copyright owner. (See also: fixed in a tangible medium of expression)
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