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The Bundle of Rights |
| A copyright is actually a bundle of rights. Suppose, for example, that you hold the copyright to a photograph. You have the following rights: |
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The right to make copies: You have the right to reproduce the photo by, for example, scanning it, or photocopying it. The distribution right: You have the right to distribute copies by, for example, selling them or giving them away. The public display right: You have the right to display the photograph in public by, for example, hanging a copy of in an art show. The public performance right: It is hard to illustrate this with a photograph, so assume that you hold the copyright in a song you have written. The public performance right is the right to perform the song in public. The right to make a derivative work: You have to use the photo in creating another work by, for example, creating a video which displays images taken from the photo as the song plays in the background. |
| These rights are recognized in 17 U. S. C. §106 (copyright law is statutory law). |