Page 270 - (ISC)² CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide

Pantomimes and choreographic works

Pictorial, graphical, and sculptural works

Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
Sound recordings

Architectural works

There is precedent for copyrighting computer software—it’s done
under the scope of literary works. However, it’s important to note that
copyright law protects only the expression inherent in computer
software—that is, the actual source code. It does not protect the ideas
or process behind the software. There has also been some question

over whether copyrights can be extended to cover the “look and feel” of
a software package’s graphical user interface. Court decisions have
gone in both directions on this matter; if you will be involved in this
type of issue, you should consult a qualified intellectual property
attorney to determine the current state of legislation and case law.

There is a formal procedure to obtain a copyright that involves sending
copies of the protected work along with an appropriate registration fee

to the U.S. Copyright Office. For more information on this process,
visit the office’s website at www.copyright.gov. However, it is
important to note that officially registering a copyright is not a
prerequisite for copyright enforcement. Indeed, the law states that the
creator of a work has an automatic copyright from the instant the work
is created. If you can prove in court that you were the creator of a work
(perhaps by publishing it), you will be protected under copyright law.

Official registration merely provides the government’s
acknowledgment that they received your work on a specific date.

Copyright ownership always defaults to the creator of a work. The
exceptions to this policy are works for hire. A work is considered “for
hire” when it is made for an employer during the normal course of an
employee’s workday. For example, when an employee in a company’s
public relations department writes a press release, the press release is

considered a work for hire. A work may also be considered a work for
hire when it is made as part of a written contract declaring it as such.

Current copyright law provides for a lengthy period of protection.