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U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S. Code) is a federal law, that is intended to promote the arts and the sciences. It does this by providing authors of original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works the ability to control how their work is used by others. The copyright law gives the author exclusive right to :

• Copy their works
• Prepare derivatives or revisions of their works
• Distribute or publish their works
• And Perform or display their works in public.

The copyright protection is granted for the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years.

The author may transfer ownership of copyright to others such as a publisher and in this case the publisher has the exclusive rights to copy, publish and distribute etc.