***This is not intended to be legal advice. First, this is an ESL Primer, and so is fairly simplified. Second, each person’s situation is different. Please contact your attorney for legal advice as it applies to you!!
Copyright:
The Constitutional Background
by Profs. Olivia L. Blessing, JD and Angela K. Blessing, MBA, JD
via “Cultured Muse“
Introduction
When asked to think back to the American Constitution, many Americas recall dusty memories of political office age restrictions and voting laws. Yet, the founding fathers were not only devoted to taxes and wars; they were interested in cultural and scientific issues as well.
In fact, they considered art and inventions so important to American culture and development as to warrant Constitutional protection. In America, the Constitution is the highest law in the country, it trumps everything. If it is in the Constitution, it is extremely important to the Government. And Copyright protection is one of those extra important issues the Government is involved in.
So what exactly does the Constitution say? As we saw before, Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says Congress has the power “to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.”
Cool! Now, what does that mean? Continue reading →
Tags: Art, Art Law, Copyright, Cultural Heritage Law, Culture, Law