What is required for protection under US Code Title 17?

• A. Must be an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, or independently created with at least some minimal degree of creativity.
• B. Must be a physical object that can be touched.
• C. Only works created after the year 2000 are protected.
• D. Protection applies only if the work is in the public domain.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that protection under Title 17 attaches to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. In other words, the work must be the author’s original creation and must be recorded in some concrete form—like a manuscript, a digital file, a recording, or performance notation—that can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for more than a transitory moment. The work also needs at least a minimal amount of creativity, which distinguishes it from mere ideas or facts.

That’s why the correct choice is the one that says a work must be original and fixed in a tangible medium (and include the notion of some creativity). It captures both the originality (independently created with some creativity) and fixation requirements. The other statements miss essential elements: protection isn’t limited to physical objects you can touch (digital files and other fixed forms count), it applies to works created long before 2000, and protection isn’t contingent on being in the public domain (public-domain works are not protected).