Part of the rationale behind the notion of copyright is that individuals will be motivated to innovate and create (in ways that benefit society as a whole) if they are rewarded with certain rights with regards to their work. 

In the United States, copyright holders are entitled to the following exclusive rights, defined in 17 U.S. Code § 106:

• Reproduce copies of a work
• Prepare derivative works based upon a work
• Distribute copies or transfer ownership of a work by sale, rental, lease, or lending
• Perform a work publicly (e.g., film screenings, live book readings, playing songs on the radio, etc.)
• Display a work publicly

Although these rights are exclusive, copyright holders can authorize other people to exercise them.

To learn more about copyright, visit the Copyright Basics research guide and other resources linked below.