Lists of works covered by copyright are usually not to be found in legislation. Works commonly protected by copyright throughout the world include: literary works such as novels, poems, plays, reference works, newspaper articles; computer programs, databases; films, musical compositions, and choreography; artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture; architecture; advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.

Owner of the copyright have several exclusive rights, which include: reproduction right, which is the right to make copies of a protected work derivative work right, which is the right to create new works based on an existing copyrighted work by adapting or modifying the existing work (The new work is called a derivative work); distribution right, which is the right to sell, transmit or otherwise distribute copies of the work to the public; performance right, which is the right to perform a protected work in public; and * display right, which is the rights to display a work in public.