Two General Principles

  + Mere ownership of a book, manuscript, painting, or any other copy or
    phonorecord does not give the possessor the copyright.  The law
    provides that transfer of ownership of any material object that
    embodies a protected work does not of itself convey any rights in
    the copyright.

  + Minors may claim copyright, but state laws may regulate the business
    dealings involving copyrights owned by minors.  For information on
    relevant state laws, consult an attorney.

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Copyright and national origin of the work

Copyright protection is available for all unpublished works, regardless of the nationality or domicile of the author.  Published works are eligible for copyright protection in the United States if any one of the following conditions is met: 

  + On the date of first publication, one or more of the authors is a
    national or domiciliary of the United States, or is a national,
    domiciliary, or sovereign authority of a treaty party,* or is a
    stateless person wherever that person may be domiciled; or A treaty
    party is a country or intergovernmental organization other than the
    United States that is a party to an international agreement.

  + The work is first published in the United States or in a foreign
    nation that, on the date of first publication, is a treaty party. 
    For purposes of this condition, a work that is published in the
    United States or a treaty party within 30 days after publication in
    a foreign nation that is not a treaty party shall be considered to
    be first published in the United States or such treaty party, as the
    case may be; or

  + The work is a sound recording that was first fixed in a treaty
    party; or

  + The work is a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work that is
    incorporated in a building or other structure, or an architectural
    work that is embodied in a building and the building or structure is
    located in the United States or a treaty party; or

  + The work is first published by the United Nations or any of its
    specialized agencies, or by the Organization of American States; or

  + The work is a foreign work that was in the public domain in the
    United States prior to 1996 and its copyright was restored under the
    Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA).  Request “Highlights of
    Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act
    (URAA-gatt), [http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ38b.pdf], for
    further information.

  + The work comes within the scope of a Presidential proclamation.

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What works are protected?