Benchmark Editing Task Part 44

The world is filled with talented individuals. Some write beautiful poems or novels, others create artwork or compose music that inspires and soothes the soul. In recognition of the countless benefits to the public, the U.S. has adopted copyright laws to protect “original works of authorship.” 

Copyright laws cover rights to material published after 1977 for the duration of the owner’s life and 70 years after his or her death. These rights include reproduction, distribution, and controlling imitated or inspired works. If people want to use copyrighted material, creators of the works must grant permission, and, in some cases, fees are charged. Anything published before 1923 is in the public domain and available for public use. In recent years, writers and filmmakers have begun to adapt public domain texts, thereby transforming source works into new copyrighted mediums. For example, Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet and the 1996 film Romeo and Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio are considered two separate works the former is considered public domain because the play was written prior to 1923, whereas the latter is protected by copyright because the film creators are still alive. People must apply to the U.S. Copyright Office to be protected by copyright laws.