"Fixed in a tangible medium of expression" refers to the concept in copyright law that signifies the requirement for original creative works to be captured or recorded in a way that can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated for a sufficient duration of time. It is a legal criterion used to determine when copyright protection arises.
When a creative work, such as a piece of writing, art, music, or a photograph, is fixed in a tangible medium of expression, it means that it has been placed, either directly or indirectly, into a physical or digital form that can be accessed or experienced by others. Tangible mediums include paper, canvas, film, recording devices, hard drives, or any other material or technology capable of storing information.
The requirement for fixation ensures that the work is capable of being reproduced or communicated to the public, thereby granting the copyright holder the exclusive rights to control its distribution, reproduction, and public performance. Fixation also establishes the work's date of creation, which is crucial for determining the duration of copyright protection.
For example, an author who writes a novel on a computer and saves it as a digital file has fixed the work in a tangible medium of expression. Similarly, an artist who paints a picture on a canvas or a musician who records a song on a CD has fulfilled the fixation requirement.
In summary, when a creative work is "fixed in a tangible medium of expression," it means that it has been captured or recorded in a perceptible and reproducible form, meeting the legal requirements to establish copyright protection.
