Copyright
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States for original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and audiovisual creations. “Copyright” literally means the right to copy. The term has come to mean that body of exclusive rights granted by law to authors for protection of their work. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and, in the case of certain works, publicly perform or display the work; to prepare derivative works; in the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission; or to license others to engage in the same acts under specific terms and conditions. Copyright protection does not extend to any idea, procedure, process, slogan, principle, or discovery. http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1a.html
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is violating the U.S. Copyright Law. It means when someone is using a work produced by another without acknowledging the work, not citing the original source and not providing credit to the producer of the work. Such a breach of the U.S. Copyright Law can result in a disciplinary action or legal action against an individual committing the offense.
Licensing
Libraries provide access to print and digital materials.Such items are available to users by libraries and are bound by licensing agreements. The licensing agreement is a binding legal contract that dictates how the resources are to be used.
Patents
A patent is a legal document giving the patent owner certain exclusive rights to his/her invention or discovery for a limited time.