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What can and cannot be copyrighted
A few common examples
The US Copyright Office describes some of the basics of what can be copyrighted. Go to The Copyright Desk's Copyright Basics webpage for a primer. Read the Copyright Basics pamphlet (US Copyright Office) for more information.
Many of the types of works that can be copyrighted are very familiar: books, webpages, photographs, music, sculptures.
A few opposing examples
What some may find interesting is what cannot be copyrighted. Ideas, slogans, recipes, and fashion designs are some of the types on this list.
Read the Works Not Protected by Copyright pamphlet (US Copyright Office) for more information.
A couple options to copyright protection
Even if certain kinds of works cannot qualify for copyright protection, they might qualify for trademark or patent protection.
Trademark "A trademark is generally a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others." ("Protecting Your Trademark." US Patent and Trademark Office, 2020. Accessed 2 Sept. 2020.)
Patent "...Any person who 'invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent...'" ("General Information Concerning Patents." US Patent and Trademark Office, 2015. Accessed 2 Sept. 2020.)
MLA (8th ed.)
“[Page Name].” The Copyright Desk. Arcadia University, [DD Mmmm.] YYYY, [URL]. Accessed DD Mmmm. YYYY.
Example: “Public Domain.” The Copyright Desk. Arcadia University, 2020, https://www.arcadia.edu/landman-library/services/copyright/public-domain. Accessed 1 Sept. 2020.
APA (7th ed.)
The Copyright Desk. (YYYY, Month DD). [Page Name]. Arcadia University. Retrieved Month DD, YYYY, from [URL]
Example: The Copyright Desk. (2020). Public Domain. Arcadia University. Retrieved September 1, 2020, from https://www.arcadia.edu/landman-library/services/copyright/public-domain
2008-2020 The Copyright Desk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License