A. Answer

Answered By: Kate Covintree     Last Updated: Oct 06, 2015     Views: 39

Copyright is a form of limited-time protection for creators (writers, photographers, artists, film producers, composers, programmers, etc.) to have exclusive rights over who can reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies, and publicly perform and display their published and/or unpublished works. The U.S. Copyright Act gets its authority from Article 1, Section 8, cl. 8 of the U.S. Constitution. 

Copyright is intended to help foster creativity as the US Constitution says it is intended 

"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

Some things are not protected by copyright (ideas, logos, facts, works in the public domain or published by the government, for example). And portions copyrighted items can be used for commentary and criticism under the "Fair Use Rule."