RIAA v. Verizon (Copyright Law): Legal Argument in Defense of RIAA

RIAA v. Verizon (Copyright Law)

A copyright is an intangible property right granted by federal statute to the author or the originator of the artistic production of a specified type, and is protected by the Copyright Act of 1976. Copyrighted material falls into the categories of literary works, musical works, dramatic works, choreographed works, pictorial or graphic works, films and audiovisual works, and sound recordings. Copyright law does protect song lyrics and thus the song itself. If the lyrics are copied, sold, or distributed without the authorization of the owners of the copyright, copyright infringement has occurred. According to Section 102 of the Copyright Act of 1976, original expression cannot be copyrighted but the particular way the expression is presented can be copyrighted. This would include both the lyrics of a song as well as the tune and the presentation. Although songs are publicly played on the radio and on television, stations must pay a royalty to...