Copyright law protects creative works. Protection granted by the law to
authors and disseminators of works includes the right to do or authorize
the following: reproduce the work, prepare derivative works, distribute
the work to the public, and publicly perform or display the work. In
addition, copyright owners of sound recordings and computer programs have
the right to control rental of their works. These rights are not
unlimited; there are a number of exceptions and limitations.
An electronic environment places strains on the copyright system.
Copyright owners want to control uses of their work and be paid for any
use; the public wants quick and easy access at little or no cost. The
marketplace is working in this area. Contracts, guidelines on electronic
use, and collective licensing are in use and being refined.
Issues concerning the ability to change works without detection are more
difficult to deal with. Questions concerning the integrity of the work
and the status of the changed version under the copyright law are to be
addressed. These are public policy issues which require informed
dialogue.
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