Common use of ORIGINAL WORKS OF AUTHORSHIP Clause in Contracts

ORIGINAL WORKS OF AUTHORSHIP. The two fundamental criteria of copyright protection—originality and fixa- tion in tangible form are restated in the first sentence of this cornerstone provision. The phrase ‘‘original works or authorship,’’ which is purposely left unde- fined, is intended to incorporate without change the standard of originality established by the courts under the present copyright statute. This standard does not include requirements of novelty, ingenuity, or esthetic merit, and there is no intention to enlarge the standard of copyright protection to require them.