To obtain the exclusive rights under U.S Copyright law, a work must be both what?

• A. Published and registered
• B. Public domain and free to use
• C. Original and fixed in a tangible way
• D. Economically valuable

Answer: (C)

A work is protected in the U.S. only if it is original and fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Original means the work is the creator’s own independent creation with at least some minimal level of creativity, not merely a copy of someone else’s work. Fixation means the work is embodied in a tangible form from which it can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a fleeting moment—like written text, a recording, a film, or a digital file.

This is why the correct answer fits best: protection attaches as soon as the work is fixed in a tangible form, provided it also has originality. Publication or registration is not required to obtain rights (though registration can aid enforcement). Being in the public domain or free to use would imply no exclusive rights, which is the opposite of what copyright grants. And economic value is not a prerequisite for protection.