The key terms in the definition or copyright are "original authorship" and "fixed works." To be an original work, a work must be both independently created by a human author and have a minimal degree of creativity. Nothing can be copied. AI cannot be used. To be a fixed work means that the work "can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a short time," according to the Copyright Office. Think of the last picture of a sunset you took on your phone. That's considered a creative workâthe image by an author, you, that has been captured on a sufficiently permanent medium. Your photograph can be seen ("perceived"), copied ("reproduced"), and sent out ("communicated").Meeting these requirements conveys copyright ownership.