Guide to United States Copyright Law as Applied to Multimedia Productions Producers and users of multimedia programs need to be aware of, and abide by, copyright law. Since multimedia productions often combine text, graphics, images, animation, audio, motion video, and computer authoring systems from a variety of sources, it would be well to know how the use of these materials is affected by legal constraints. Although many books and articles have been written on the subject of copyright, some areas have not been specifically addressed, primarily because applicable cases have not been tested in court.
Much uncertainty exists, and most areas are subject to interpretation.
The following summary is an attempt to bring together some of what is known regarding copyright as applied to multimedia. While not an exhaustive study, it is intended as a starting point to make producers and users aware of the issues involved. Some materials are not protected by copyright. Most other works are protected by copyright, even if they do not bear a copyright notice. Copyright protection comes into being the moment the work is created in fixed form.