What subject matter is not copyrightable?
Copyright protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries. 17 U.S.C. ? 102(b). To the extent a copyrightable expression and uncopyrightable subject matter are inseparably linked (?merged?), copyright protection for the expression is generally unavailable. These limits serve several purposes. First, they help make sure copyright does not burden creativity. If one could copyright not only the TV show “The West Wing,” but also the idea of a story about a fictional President and his advisors, then many other creative works would be stifled. See Baker v. Selden, 101 U.S. 99 (U.S., 1880). Second, these limits help ensure that copyright promotes and rewards creativity. Originality is required by the Constitution for copyright protection. Original in this sense only requires that the work be independently created with some creative effort; it is
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