Works of authorship

Section 102 of the 1976 Copyright Act provides that copyright protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. The fixation need not be directly perceptible so long as it may be communicated with the aid of a machine or device. Copyrightable works include the following categories:


 * literary works
 * musical works, including any accompanying words
 * dramatic works, including any accompanying music
 * pantomimes and choreographic works
 * [[pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works]
 * motion pictures and other audiovisual works
 * sound recordings, and
 * architectural works.