idea

What is in the public domain?

Anything that is not protected by copyright is in the public domain. This includes: Unprotectable subject matter (facts, information, ideas, methods, processes, inventions, titles, names, slogans, short phrases, common geometric shapes, familiar symbols, unoriginal compilations systems (e.g., ordering things alphabetically), works created by U.S. government employees, natural objects formed or shaped by natural forces without […]

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Does copyright protection exist for vessel hull designs?

Vessel hull designs are not specifically protected by the Copyright Act, but the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act, part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. ch. 13 ), offers 10-year protection for original, non-staple vessel hull and deck designs.

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Can copyright be claimed in an architectural design?

Sometimes. Although designs usually are regarded as uncopyrightable ideas, Congress enacted legislation in 1990 providing copyright-like protection for architectural designs. An architectural work is defined as “the design of a building embodied in any tangible medium of expression, including a building, architectural plans, or drawings.” Protection extends to architectural works created on or after December

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Is my idea for a song, movie, story, etc. protected by copyright?

No. Copyrights only protect expression, not ideas. Even if you’ve got all the expressive aspects (such as the melody and lyrics for a song) worked out in your head, a copyright will not come into being until you fix it in a tangible medium of expression, such as by writing it out on paper or

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Can I claim a copyright in a new theory I’ve come up with?

No. Copyright cannot be claimed in a theory. Theories are ideas, and copyright ownership cannot be claimed in ideas. Copyright protects expression, not ideas. This means that the expression of a theory may be protected by copyright, but the theory itself is not.

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Can I own a copyright in a computer program or software?

Yes. A person can own a copyright in the expressive elements of a computer program, such as the source code. Copyright cannot be claimed in an algorithm, however, because an algorithm is an idea, method, system or process. Copyright does not protect ideas, methods, processes and systems. It only protects expression. 

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Can I own a copyright in a recipe?

No. A recipe , that is to say, the step-by-step procedure for making a particular dish, is an idea, method or process, so it is not something that copyright law protects. Expressive elements that are not essential to the recipe may be protected by copyright, however, provided they are sufficiently creative, original, and substantial. For

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Does copyright protect ideas, procedures, methods, formulae or systems?

No. Copyrights do not protect ideas, procedures, methods, systems, or formulae. Copyright only protects expression. A copyright may protect the way an idea, method, procedure, system or formula is expressed, but it does not protect the idea, method, procedure, system or formula itself.

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What is the difference between a copyright and a patent or trade secret?

Copyrights protect expression. Patents protect inventions. Trade secrets protect commercially valuable ideas and information that are kept secret. A copyright may protect the expression of an idea, but it does not protect the idea itself. For that, recourse must be had, if at all, to patent, trade secret or unfair competition laws.

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