Copyright status of work by the U.S. government
Okay kiddo, so you know how grown-ups make up rules to keep things fair and organized? Well, one rule that the grown-ups made up is called copyright. Copyright means that when someone makes something, like a book or a song, they get to decide who can make copies of it and how it can be used.
Now, the U.S. government is like a really big group of grown-ups that make rules for the country. But do you know what? The U.S. government doesn't get to have its own copyright. That means when the U.S. government makes something, like a report or a picture or a video, it belongs to everyone in the country.
That's right, kiddo! If you or I wanted to make copies of a report or a picture made by the U.S. government and share it with other people, we could! And we wouldn't be breaking any rules because the U.S. government doesn't own the copyright.
This is because we all pay taxes to the government, which means we all help pay for the things the government makes. So it wouldn't be fair for the government to make something and then say only some people can use it.
But wait, there's one more thing to know. Sometimes, the U.S. government hires people or companies to make something for them. In that case, the person or company who made it still owns the copyright, not the government.
So, in summary, when the U.S. government makes something, we all get to use it and make copies of it. But if someone else made it for the government, they still own the copyright.
Now, the U.S. government is like a really big group of grown-ups that make rules for the country. But do you know what? The U.S. government doesn't get to have its own copyright. That means when the U.S. government makes something, like a report or a picture or a video, it belongs to everyone in the country.
That's right, kiddo! If you or I wanted to make copies of a report or a picture made by the U.S. government and share it with other people, we could! And we wouldn't be breaking any rules because the U.S. government doesn't own the copyright.
This is because we all pay taxes to the government, which means we all help pay for the things the government makes. So it wouldn't be fair for the government to make something and then say only some people can use it.
But wait, there's one more thing to know. Sometimes, the U.S. government hires people or companies to make something for them. In that case, the person or company who made it still owns the copyright, not the government.
So, in summary, when the U.S. government makes something, we all get to use it and make copies of it. But if someone else made it for the government, they still own the copyright.