The Most Accurate AI Content Detector
Try Our AI Detector
Writing Contract

What Is Copyright?

Learn about copyright in the US. Review what it is, what is and isn’t protected under the current copyright law, and get tips on how to avoid copyright infringement.

Trusted By Industry Leaders
Trusted By Industry Leaders

Introduction

Our text compare tool is a fantastic, lightweight tool that provides plagiarism checks between two documents. Whether you are a student, blogger or publisher, this tool offers a great solution to detect and compare similarities between any two pieces of text. In this article, I will discuss the different ways to use the tool, the primary features of the tool and who this tool is for. There is an FAQ at the bottom if you run into any issues when trying to use the tool.

What makes Originality.ai’s text comparison tool stand out?

Keyword density helper – This tool comes with a built-in keyword density helper in some ways similar to the likes of SurferSEO or MarketMuse the difference being, ours is free! This feature shows the user the frequency of single or two word keywords in a document, meaning you can easily compare an article you have written against a competitor to see the major differences in keyword densities. This is especially useful for SEO’s who are looking to optimize their blog content for search engines and improve the blog’s visibility.

Ways to compare

File compare – Text comparison between files is a breeze with our tool. Simply select the files you would like to compare, hit “Upload” and our tool will automatically insert the content into the text area, then simply hit “Compare” and let our tool show you where the differences in the text are. By uploading a file, you can still check the keyword density in your content.

URL compare

Comparing text between URLs is effortless with our tool. Simply paste the URL you would like to get the content from (in our example we use a fantastic blog post by Sherice Jacob found here) hit “Submit URL” and our tool will automatically retrieve the contents of the page and paste it into the text area, then simply click “Compare” and let our tool highlight the difference between the URLs. This feature is especially useful for checking keyword density between pages!

Simple text compare

You can also easily compare text by copying and pasting it into each field, as demonstrated below.

Features of Originality.ai’s Text Compare Tool

Ease of use

Our text compare tool is created with the user in mind, it is designed to be accessible to everyone. Our tool allows users to upload files or enter a URL to extract text, this along with the lightweight design ensures a seamless experience. The interface is simple and straightforward, making it easy for users to compare text and detect the diff.

Multiple text file format support

Our tool provides support for a variety of different text files and microsoft word formats including pdf file, .docx, .odt, .doc, and .txt, giving users the ability to compare text from different sources with ease. This makes it a great solution for students, bloggers, and publishers who are looking for file comparison in different formats.

Protects intellectual property

Our text comparison tool helps you protect your intellectual property and helps prevent plagiarism. This tool provides an accurate comparison of texts, making it easy to ensure that your work is original and not copied from other sources. Our tool is a valuable resource for anyone looking to maintain the originality of their content.

User Data Privacy

Our text compare tool is secure and protects user data privacy. No data is ever saved to the tool, the users’ text is only scanned and pasted into the tool’s text area. This makes certain that users can use our tool with confidence, knowing their data is safe and secure.

Compatibility

Our text comparison tool is designed to work seamlessly across all size devices, ensuring maximum compatibility no matter your screen size. Whether you are using a large desktop monitor, a small laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, this tool adjusts to your screen size. This means that users can compare texts and detect the diff anywhere without the need for specialized hardware or software. This level of accessibility makes it an ideal solution for students or bloggers who value the originality of their work and need to compare text online anywhere at any time.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used in place of legal advice. If you have a copyright-related issue, consult a lawyer.

According to the United States Copyright Office, the U.S. has had guidelines aimed at protecting “intellectual creativity” since 1790. However, copyright law frameworks such as the Copyright Act of 1976 are far from common knowledge.

Nearly everyone is either a user or owner of copyrighted materials, so understanding the basics of US copyright law allows you to protect your rights and the rights of others.

Read on to learn more about copyright in the US. We’ll go over what it is, what is and isn’t protected under the current law, what copyright infringement looks like, and how to avoid it.

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

  • At its core, copyright law is the legal right to copy an original work of authorship.
  • Those who create an original work and fix it (in a physical form) are copyright owners.
  • Some common things eligible for copyright protection include books, movies, images, choreography, architecture, and music.
  • You cannot copyright ideas, systems, methods, names, slogans, or AI-generated content.
  • Copyright infringement occurs when you violate a copyright holder’s intellectual property rights.
  • The easiest way to avoid infringement is to create and use your own original work.

What Is Copyright?

It’s easy to get caught up in the legalese, but a simple definition of copyright is the legal right to copy an original work

As long as the work in question is an original work of authorship and fixed in a physical form (like a blog post, article, image, or even a writing contract), it should be eligible for copyright protection, and the set of intellectual property rights that go along with it.

With copyright protection, only the copyright holder has the right to do the following with their material:

  • Make copies
  • Distribute, whether by rental, lease, sale, or other transfer of ownership
  • Create derivative works
  • Perform publicly
  • Display publicly

They can also permit others to exercise these rights, though there are limitations. Now, one question remains: who is this copyright holder in the first place?

Who Is a Copyright Owner?

While there are benefits to formal copyright registration, those who create an original work and put it in a tangible form become the automatic copyright holder. At least, this is how it works in most cases.

If you’re in a works-made-for-hire situation or an employee completing their regular duties, the hiring person or company is often the copyright owner. It’s important to note that this can vary depending on the terms of the contract. If you have questions about copyright ownership it’s best to contact a lawyer for bespoke legal advice.

What Does Copyright Protect? Copyright Examples

So, what kinds of things can you hold the copyright to? According to Section 102(a) of the Copyright Act, the following works of authorship are eligible for copyright protection:

  • Books, blog posts, and other literary works.
  • Performance art, like dramatic theatre or choreography.
  • Visual arts, including pictures, graphics, and sculptures.
  • Motion pictures and other audiovisual works, such as movies and TV shows.
  • Music and other sound recordings, along with their lyrics or other words.
  • Works of architecture, like buildings, plans, and even models.

These are broad categories and other original works may also be eligible for copyright protection. For instance, according to Harvard University, software or programming code is eligible for copyright as well.

What Isn’t Protected By Copyright?

It’s important to remember that copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. Therefore, according to the US Copyright Office’s Circular 33, copyright doesn’t protect:

  • Ideas
  • Methods
  • Systems
  • Names
  • Titles
  • Format or layout
  • Short phrases (like catchphrases, mottos, or slogans)
  • Typeface
  • Fonts
  • Lettering
  • Blank forms
  • Familiar symbols and designs
  • Domain names

While not copyrightable, some of these may be eligible for other types of intellectual property protection. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, for example, you may be able to register certain words or phrases (such as slogans) under trademark law. 

Note: Keep an eye on the US Copyright Office’s guidelines on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence for the latest information on who owns AI-generated content.

What Is Copyright Infringement?

Copyright infringement occurs when someone violates a copyright owner’s legal rights. The University of California Berkeley notes that copyright infringement can occur if someone does not obtain the permission of the original creator and reproduces, performs, publicly displays, creates derivatives of, or shares a copyrighted work.

Some common examples of copyright infringement include:

This isn’t an exhaustive list, so it’s best to consult with a legal professional if you have inquiries about copyright infringement.

Note: There are copyright infringement penalties. Avoid infringing on someone’s intellectual property rights.

How to Avoid Copyright Infringement

The details of copyright law may be complex, but avoiding infringement isn’t. There are several simple ways to prevent yourself from infringing on someone’s copyright:

  • Above all, stick with your own original work. Unless you have permission from the copyright owner, don’t use any material that isn’t yours.

The Bottom Line: Everyone Should Learn About Copyright Law

As copyright owners and users, everyone should know the basics of US copyright law. It puts you in a much better position to protect your intellectual property rights and the rights of others.

Additionally, it’s important to note that copyright protection lasts a long time. The US Copyright Office specifies that if a work was “created and fixed in a tangible medium” on January 1, 1978, or afterward, copyright law protects it for the lifetime of the author and an extra 70 years afterward.

So, it’s best practice to do your research and stay informed about the latest in the field of copyright law.

Jess Sawyer

Jess Sawyer is a seasoned writer and content marketing expert with a passion for crafting engaging and SEO-optimized content. With several years of experience in the digital marketing, Jess has honed her skills in creating content that not only captivates audiences but also ranks high on search engine results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to fill out the entire form?

No, that’s one of the benefits, only fill out the areas which you think will be relevant to the prompts you require.

Why is the English so poor for some prompts?

When making the tool we had to make each prompt as general as possible to be able to include every kind of input. Not to worry though ChatGPT is smart and will still understand the prompt.

In The Press

Originality.ai has been featured for its accurate ability to detect GPT-3, Chat GPT and GPT-4 generated content. See some of the coverage below…

View All Press
Featured by Leading Publications

Originality.ai did a fantastic job on all three prompts, precisely detecting them as AI-written. Additionally, after I checked with actual human-written textual content, it did determine it as 100% human-generated, which is important.

Vahan Petrosyan

searchenginejournal.com

I use this tool most frequently to check for AI content personally. My most frequent use-case is checking content submitted by freelance writers we work with for AI and plagiarism.

Tom Demers

searchengineland.com

After extensive research and testing, we determined Originality.ai to be the most accurate technology.

Rock Content Team

rockcontent.com

Jon Gillham, Founder of Originality.ai came up with a tool to detect whether the content is written by humans or AI tools. It’s built on such technology that can specifically detect content by ChatGPT-3 — by giving you a spam score of 0-100, with an accuracy of 94%.

Felix Rose-Collins

ranktracker.com

ChatGPT lacks empathy and originality. It’s also recognized as AI-generated content most of the time by plagiarism and AI detectors like Originality.ai

Ashley Stahl

forbes.com

Originality.ai Do give them a shot! 

Sri Krishna

venturebeat.com

For web publishers, Originality.ai will enable you to scan your content seamlessly, see who has checked it previously, and detect if an AI-powered tool was implored.

Industry Trends

analyticsinsight.net

More From The Blog

Al Content Detector & Plagiarism Checker for Marketers and Writers

Use our leading tools to ensure you can hit publish with integrity!