Circular 31
Ideas, Methods,
or Systems
What Is Not Protected by Copyright
Copyright law does not protect ideas, methods, or systems. Copyright protec-
tion is therefore not available for ideas or procedures for doing, making, or
building things; scientific or technical methods or discoveries; business opera-
tions or procedures; mathematical principles; formulas or algorithms; or any
other concept, process, or method of operation.
Section 102 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the U.S. Code) clearly expresses
this principle: “In no case does copyright protection for an original work of
authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation,
concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described,
explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.”
Inventions are subject matter for patents, not copyrights. For information
about patent laws, contact
Commissioner for Patents
U. S. Patent and Trademark Office
P. O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
(800) 786-9199
www.uspto.gov
What Is Protected by Copyright
Copyright protection extends to a description, explanation, or illustration of
an idea or system, assuming that the requirements of copyright law are met.
Copyright in such a case protects the particular literary or pictorial expression
chosen by the author. But it gives the copyright owner no exclusive rights in the
idea, method, or system involved.
Suppose, for example, that an author writes a book explaining a new system
for food processing. The copyright in the book, which comes into effect at the
moment the work is fixed in a tangible form, prevents others from copying or
distributing the text and illustrations describing the author’s system. But it will
not give the author any right to prevent others from adapting the system itself
for commercial or other purposes or from using any procedures, processes, or
methods described in the book.
2 31.0112
Ideas, Methods, or Systems · 2
No Comparative Searches By Telephone
For general information about copyright, call the Copyright
The Copyright Office does not compare deposit copies or Public Information Office at (202) 707-3000 or 1-877-476-
check registration records to determine whether works sub- 0778 (toll free). Staff members are on duty from 8:30 am to
mitted for registration are similar to any material for which 5:00 pm, eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal
a copyright has already been registered. The records of the holidays. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day.
Copyright Office may contain any number of registrations To request paper application forms or circulars, call (202)
for works describing or illustrating the same idea, method, 707-9100 or 1-877-476-0778 and leave a recorded message.
or system.
By Regular Mail
Write to:
For Further Information Library of Congress
Copyright Office-COPUBS
By Internet
101 Independence Avenue SE
Circulars, announcements, regulations, application forms, Washington, DC 20559
and other related materials are available from the Copyright
Office website at www.copyright.gov. Claims to copyright can
also be registered online at this address.
U. S. Copyright Office · Library of Congress · 101 Independence Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20559 · www.copyright.gov
circular 31 reviewed: 01 ⁄ 2012 Printed on recycled paper u.s. government printing office: 2012-•••-••• ⁄ ••,•••