Copyright Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Two writers independently create different stories about a school for young magicians. Which statement best reflects the idea-expression distinction?
The general premise is not usually protected by itself, but each writer’s particular expression may be
The first writer owns every later story involving magic and a school
Neither story can receive copyright because they share a premise
Only character names can be protected; prose and scenes cannot be
2. A work has entered the public domain because its copyright expired. What does that generally mean for the work itself?
It may be viewed freely but not adapted
Only libraries and schools may reproduce it
Anyone may use it without obtaining copyright permission
Ownership automatically passes to the government
3. Someone buys a printed novel, scans the entire book, and posts the scan publicly. Which principle is most relevant?
Buying the copy gives the buyer every right held by the author
Posting is permitted because the buyer created the scan personally
Owning a physical copy does not normally transfer the rights to reproduce and distribute the work
Scanning automatically creates a new, independently copyrighted edition
4. Which pairing most accurately distinguishes patents from copyright?
Patents may protect qualifying inventions, while copyright protects original expression
Patents protect novels, while copyright protects brand names
Patents and copyright protect exactly the same subject matter for different fees
Patents protect all ideas automatically, while copyright requires every work to be registered
5. Which type of subject matter is copyright generally designed to protect?
Original expression in works such as books, music, films, and illustrations
New and useful technological inventions
Brand names used to identify the source of goods
Facts and abstract ideas regardless of how they are expressed
6. Which activity is mainly associated with trademark law rather than copyright law?
Reproducing an illustrator’s artwork
Using a confusingly similar brand name to identify competing goods
Publicly performing a playwright’s script
Adapting a novel into a screenplay
7. A podcast licenses a song for one specified episode but later uses it in an advertisement. What is the key copyright question?
Whether the advertisement uses the same audio file format
Whether the podcast credited the singer somewhere on its website
Whether the advertisement is shorter than the original episode
Whether the additional use falls within the license’s scope or requires further permission
8. A reviewer quotes a limited passage from a novel while critically discussing that passage. Which is the most accurate general statement?
Any quotation without permission is automatically infringement
It is allowed only if the review earns no money
It is automatically allowed whenever the author is credited
It may qualify for an exception such as fair use or fair dealing, depending on context and local law
9. A photographer takes an original photo and saves it to a memory card. Under the standard no-formalities approach followed in many countries, when does copyright generally arise?
When the original photograph is created and fixed, without registration being required
Only when the photograph is first published
Only after the photographer places a copyright notice on it
When someone offers to buy or license the photograph
10. A blogger reposts an entire copyrighted article and clearly credits the author but has no permission. Which statement is most accurate?
Crediting the author transfers responsibility to the original publisher
Credit automatically creates a valid license
Attribution alone does not necessarily authorize copying or prevent infringement
Any credited use is automatically covered by fair use or fair dealing
11. What normally happens when the copyright term for a work ends?
The final owner must choose a new copyright holder
The copyright renews automatically forever
The work becomes protected only by trademark law
The work enters the public domain
12. You find a professional-looking photograph online with no copyright notice or licensing information. What is the most reliable starting assumption?
It is free to use because search engines displayed it
It may still be protected, so permission or reliable license information should be found before reuse
It is in the public domain because no notice is visible
It may be reused as long as its file name is changed
13. An illustrator can demonstrate that they never saw an earlier work and created a similar-looking image independently. Why does that matter?
Similarity always proves infringement, so it does not matter
Copyright infringement generally requires copying; independent creation is not copying
Independent creation matters only if the later work is unpublished
Independent creation automatically places both images in the public domain
14. You want to reuse an image released under a Creative Commons license. What should you do first?
Assume every Creative Commons license permits any commercial use
Check the exact license and follow its conditions, such as attribution or limits on modification
Register the image in your own name before using it
Remove the creator’s name so your version is clearly separate
15. What is the main difference between a copyright license and a copyright assignment?
A license applies only to printed works, while an assignment applies only online
A license must be free, while an assignment must involve payment
A license grants permission under stated terms, while an assignment transfers ownership of rights
A license lasts forever, while an assignment is always temporary
16. A comedian copies portions of a song specifically to comment on and mock that song. Which is the best general assessment?
Calling the new work a parody automatically makes every use lawful
Parody can never qualify for a copyright exception
The use is lawful only if the original musician approves of the joke
The use may qualify for an exception, but the conclusion depends on the material used, purpose, effect, and applicable law