common law copyright

A property right that arose when the work was created, rather than when it was published.

• Under the Copyright Act of 1976, which was effective on January 1, 1978, common-law copyright was largely abolished for works created after the statute’s effective date. But the statute retained the common law’s recognition that the property right arose when the work was created rather than when it was published. And the common-law copyright still applies in a few areas: notably, a common-law copyright received before January 1, 1978, remains entitled to protection.

— Also termed right of first publication.

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词条贡献者

译者Susanne，世界顶尖法学院国际税法专业，擅长翻译各种与联邦税务纠纷相关的法律文件。