Exclusive rights in copyright law are reserved for the copyright holder, who can grant them through a license. There are six exclusive rights, including reproduction, derivative works, public performance, display, broadcast, and distribution. These rights are not unlimited and are subject to change. Fair use allows for limited reproduction, and parody is allowed for derivative works.
In copyright law, exclusive rights are rights reserved to the copyright holder. The copyright owner is the only person who can exercise these rights or grant them to others through a license. In the event that a copyright owner grants you an exclusive right, you can stop this transfer at a later time. This is designed to protect copyright holders for the duration of their copyrights.
There are six exclusive rights, sometimes referred to as the ‘pillars of copyright’. They are all protected by law. The first and perhaps most important is the right to reproduce a work. While people can reproduce excerpts from a work in fair use, they cannot essentially copy a work. For example, quoting several sentences from a book in a review with the appropriate attribution is fair usage. Reprinting an entire book is not, because only the copyright holder has the right to reproduce the work.
The copyright holders also reserve the right to make derivative works, including works that transform the original work. The law does, however, allow derivative works that are clearly parodies. So, someone can’t take a book, change some elements of the story, and reprint it for profit. Someone can, however, parody the original work which, while clearly referring to the work on which it is based, is also an original work.
Other exclusive rights include the right to publicly perform, display and broadcast copyrighted works. Performances include things like plays and musical compositions, while the right to exhibit works applies to things like sculptures, photographs, and other works of visual art, including still images from films. Broadcasting applies to radio and television broadcasting and other broadcasting media. The restrictions on who is allowed to submit work are designed to present situations in which people profit or benefit from performing, broadcasting, or viewing work that is not theirs.
Finally, the copyright owner holds the exclusive distribution right. Copyright holders determine how and when their work is distributed, and by whom. Controlling distribution routes allows people to decide not only who uses their work, but also how it is used. In all cases, exclusive rights provide a means for people to control their creative work.
The exclusive rights are not unlimited. The approach to copyright is also commonly in a state of flux. For example, some people may argue that sampling songs for remixes, as is done in clubs, is copyright infringement. Others disagree, including some artists who actively encourage people to try their work.
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