Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of âoriginal works of authorship,â including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.note: Sound recordings are defined in the law as âworks that result from the fixation of a series of musical, spoken, or other sounds, but not including the sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work.â Common. Copyright Basics Â· 2. examples include recordings of music, drama, or lectures.