The Copyright Act (United States)

The Copyright Act (United States) is a law that protects creators' rights to their original works—like books, music, movies, and art—by giving them control over how their work is used. It grants exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display the work, typically for the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years. This encourages innovation by rewarding creators for their efforts. However, it also includes exceptions like fair use, allowing limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, education, or commentary.