Copyright law protects the original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. In the context of film and television, copyright protects the creative expression of the author, prevents unauthorized copying and distribution of the work, and grants the author exclusive rights to profit from their work.

A copyright protects the original work of authorship, while a trademark protects the name, logo, or slogan of a company. Copyright law protects the artistic expression of the author, while trademark law protects the brand or logo of a company.

The term of a copyright in the United States is the life of the author plus 70 years. For works created before 1978, the term is 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever is shorter.

Fair use is a defense to copyright infringement that allows the use of copyrighted material for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. The fair use defense is based on the idea that these uses do not harm the copyright holder's market for the work.

A film producer is responsible for the overall production of the film, including raising the financing, hiring the crew, and overseeing the production process. A film director is responsible for the creative aspects of the film, including directing the actors, choosing the camera angles, and editing the film.

A film distribution agreement is a contract between a film producer and a film distributor that grants the distributor the right to distribute the film in a particular territory. The agreement also sets the terms of the distributor's compensation and protects the copyright holder's rights in the film.

A film exhibition agreement is a contract between a film distributor and a film exhibitor that grants the exhibitor the right to exhibit the film in a particular theater. A film distribution agreement is a contract between a film producer and a film distributor that grants the distributor the right to distribute the film in a particular territory.

A talent release form is a contract between an actor and a film producer that grants the producer the right to use the actor's name, image, and likeness in the film. The agreement also protects the actor's rights in the film and sets the terms of the actor's compensation.

A union actor is a member of a labor union, such as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Union actors are paid more than non-union actors and have more rights, such as the right to negotiate their contracts and the right to work under safe conditions.

The purpose of a film rating system is to inform parents about the content of a film, to protect children from exposure to inappropriate content, and to help filmmakers market their films.

The different types of film ratings in the United States are G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. G means general audiences, PG means parental guidance suggested, PG-13 means parents strongly cautioned, R means restricted, and NC-17 means no one 17 and under admitted.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is responsible for enforcing film rating laws in the United States. The MPAA is a trade association that represents the major film studios in the United States.

A film festival is a public event where films are screened for audiences. A film market is a private event where films are bought and sold.

The different types of film festivals include general film festivals, genre film festivals, and niche film festivals. Film festivals can also be classified as international film festivals, national film festivals, and regional film festivals. Finally, film festivals can be either competitive or non-competitive.

The purpose of a film market is to provide a platform for filmmakers to sell their films to distributors, for distributors to buy films from filmmakers, and for filmmakers and distributors to network with each other.