What constitutes copyright infringement?

Using intellectual property without authorization constitutes copyright infringement because it violates the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner. Copyright law protects original works of authorship, and this protection means that the creator has the right to control how their work is used, including permissions for reproduction, distribution, and adaptation. When someone uses or reproduces copyrighted material without obtaining permission, they are infringing on the copyright, which can have legal consequences.

Other options reflect circumstances that do not involve infringement: permission granted by the copyright owner indicates a legal use; fair use involves specific conditions under which copyrighted material can be used without permission; and fully licensed use indicates that the user has secured rights to utilize the intellectual property, thereby avoiding infringement.