What is U.S. Copyright Law?

U.S. Copyright Law protects original works of authorship (like articles, photos, videos, music, art, and books) once they are fixed in a tangible form (written down, recorded, saved, etc.).
It gives the creator exclusive rights to:

• Reproduce (copy) the work
• Distribute the work
• Perform or display the work publicly
• Create derivative works (new works based on the original)

📜 Key points:

• Automatic Protection: You don’t have to register your work for it to be copyrighted. The moment you create it, it’s protected.
• Registration Benefits: If you register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office, it becomes easier to enforce your rights in court.
• Duration:
  • For individual authors: copyright lasts the author’s lifetime + 70 years.
  • For companies (like news websites): 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation (whichever is shorter).

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Why It Matters for Your News Website (US World Daily)

As a news website:

• Your articles, photos, and videos are automatically protected by copyright when you publish them.
• You must respect the copyrights of others (like not copying news stories, images, or videos without permission unless using under “fair use”).

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What is “Fair Use”?

Fair Use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without needing permission, especially for:

• News reporting
• Commentary
• Criticism
• Education
• Research

BUT:
Even for news reporting, you should:

• Use only what’s necessary.
• Add your own original commentary or analysis.
• Always credit the original source.