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U.S. Copyright Law
Copyright is defined as "the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something." In the U.S. copyright is governed by the Copyright Act of 1976 and its subsequent updates and court rulings. Cornell Law provides a good overview of U.S. Copyright law: Cornell Legal Information Institute: Copyright
According to Section 106 the Copyright Act, only the copyright holder and those granted permission from the copyright holder can:
- Reproduce a work
- Distribute copies of a work
- Create derivative work based upon the original
- Perform or display the work in public