What is a work of authorship?

A “work of authorship” is a work which can be protected by copyright law. Section 102 of the Copyright Act defines eight broad categories of works of authorship:

(1) Literary works;

(2) Musical works;

(3) Dramatic works;

(4) Pantomimes or choreographic works;

(5) Pictorial, graphic or sculptural works;

(6) Motion pictures or audiovisual works;

(7) Sound recordings; and

(8) Architectural works.