©What are Copyright & Intellectual Property?
Intellectual property encompasses a broad range of legal rights and interests, including copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and patents. The protection of intellectual property rights is thought to serve a critical social purpose, namely to provide an economic incentive for the advancement of science, technology, and general knowledge that is vital for sustained economic growth.
However, the application of traditional laws and notions of intellectual property rights to the Internet is not necessarily a simple matter.
» Copyright
In the words of the U.S. Copyright Act, copyright is law that protects original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Copyright governs the right to copy, publish, and display these works.
Copyright issues are some of the most challenging questions facing Internet-related endeavors, as the Internet represents a new "marketplace" for information and ideas and a vast new arena for the publication and distribution of works of authorship.
