What does copyright protect?

Copyright specifically protects works of authorship that are tangibly expressed, which includes a wide range of creative works such as literature, music, art, and software code. The key aspect of copyright is that it applies to the fixed expression of ideas. This means that a creator must express their idea in a concrete form, such as writing it down, recording it, or otherwise making it perceivable, for copyright law to take effect.

This protection gives the creator exclusive rights over the reproduction, distribution, performance, and adaptation of their work, thereby supporting the creator's ability to control how their work is used and monetized. Importantly, copyright does not protect the underlying ideas or concepts but rather the specific expression of those ideas in a tangible format.

Other options do not fall under the purview of copyright: inventions typically are protected by patents, while business logos and symbols can be protected by trademarks. Trade secrets involve confidential business information that provides a competitive edge and are protected under trade secret law rather than copyright.