Copyright protection, under title 17 of the U. S. Code, to the authors of “original works of authorship” protects works fixed in a tangible form of expression, where the fixation need not be directly perceptible but may be communicated with the aid of a machine or device. Categories of copyrightable works include:
- 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.