Final answer:
Copyright protects the rights of composers, arrangers, and performers by legally preventing the unauthorized reproduction, display, or performance of their works. It applies automatically to original works once fixed in tangible form and lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. This ensures control and commercial use rights for the creators.
Step-by-step explanation:
The element of publishing that protects the rights of composers, arrangers, and performers is copyright. Copyright is a form of legal protection under the laws of the United States that is automatically applied to 'original works of authorship' once they are fixed in a tangible form. This includes various forms of creative works such as literary, musical, dramatic, architectural, and choreographic works, to name a few. A copyrighted work cannot be reproduced, displayed, or performed without the express permission of the author, ensuring the creator's rights are safeguarded.
Not only does copyright protect against unauthorized use, but it also provides control over how, when, and where the work is used commercially. The duration of copyright protection typically lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, allowing the benefits of copyright to continue for a significant period after the author's passing. Moreover, copyright secures the form and expression of the idea, rather than the idea itself, affording protection to the specific way in which the concept has been rendered by the author.