17 U.S.C. § 102 — Subject matter of copyright: In general

(a) Copyright protection applies to original works of authorship, as long as they are fixed in some tangible way — now known or invented later — from which they can be seen, heard, or otherwise sensed, directly or with a machine's help. These are the categories of works covered: (1) literary works; (2) musical works, including any words that go with them; (3) dramatic works, including any music that goes with them; (4) pantomimes and choreographic works; (5) pictures, graphics, and sculptures; (6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works; (7) sound recordings; and (8) architectural works. (b) Copyright never protects an idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery by itself — no matter how it is described, explained, shown, or built into the work.