Question

In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976 and its current amendments, you must have the permission of the original artist to use an image. Excluding images which are obtained using the Fair Use Act, at which point is an image copyright protected?

1) once the image is produced in some form
2) after the image is registered with the US government
3) once the image is planned on paper
4) when the concept is developed during conversation

Answer 1

An image is copyright protected once it is produced in a tangible form such as digital or printed. No registration is required, and protection lasts for the author's lifetime plus 70 years. Permission is needed to use the image unless it's in the public domain or covered by Fair Use.

Step-by-step explanation:

In accordance with the US Copyright Act of 1976 and its current amendments, an image becomes copyright protected once the image is produced in some tangible form. This means that as soon as the image is fixed in a medium such as digital format or printed form, it is automatically protected by copyright. No registration with the US government is required for the image to enjoy copyright protection. Moreover, to legally use an image, apart from exceptional situations covered by Fair Use, permission from the author is necessary. The copyright protects the expression of ideas (the image itself) rather than the ideas or concepts that the image may represent.

Copyright protection typically lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, ensuring that the author or their estate have exclusive rights to reproduce, display, or perform the work. Intellectual property laws are stringent and sharing an image broadly requires either the image to be in the public domain or to have secured permission from the copyright owner.