literary works

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Literary works are defined under 17 U.S.C. §101 as “works, other than audiovisual works, expressed in words, numbers, or other verbal or numerical symbols or indicia, regardless of the nature of the material objects, such as books, periodicals, manuscripts, phonorecords, film, tapes, disks, or cards, in which they are embodied.” Original literary works are protected by copyright law. However, some commonly used literary themes or references may not be protected under copyright law due to their universal usage.

See e.g., Allen v. Scholastic Inc. 739 F.Supp. 2d 642 (2011)

[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]