General Education Development (GED) Practice Exam

Which of the following is not protected by copyright law?

1. Architectural drawings

2. Scripts for plays

3. Advertising slogans

4. Books of poetry

The correct answer is: Advertising slogans

Copyright law provides protection to original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. This includes a wide range of creative works such as architectural drawings, scripts for plays, and books of poetry, all of which can be considered original works created by an author or artist. However, advertising slogans typically do not receive protection under copyright law because they are often short phrases or expressions that do not contain enough creativity or originality to qualify for copyright. Instead, slogans may be protected under trademark law, which safeguards brand identifiers and slogans used in commerce. This distinction is important, as it illustrates the boundaries of what copyright can cover versus what is protected by other types of intellectual property law. Thus, the distinction lies in the nature and length of the work, with advertising slogans generally lacking the depth of creative expression required for copyright protection.