{"id":13,"date":"2024-12-11T01:46:30","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T01:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lib.purdue.edu\/uco3\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2025-11-18T16:31:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T16:31:20","slug":"legal-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lib.purdue.edu\/uco\/legal-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal-system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-695\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/infostudies.purdue.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/08.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:66px;font-style:normal;font-weight:700\">U.S. Legal System<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:22px\">The United States Constitution is the basis of the U.S. legal system. Article 1 Section 8 Clause 8 is the Copyright Clause in the Constitution.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div  class=\"section \">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n                \n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns page-layout-columns columns is-multiline is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column column is-full-tablet page-layout-main is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Copyright and the Federal Legal System<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copyright is a federal law so it is important to understand how federal laws work. If there is a dispute about a federal law it must be adjudicated in a federal court. State legal systems are similar in structure to the Federal legal system but can usually only hear state law claims. Visit the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/about-federal-courts\/court-role-and-structure\/comparing-federal-state-courts\">US Federal Courts website&nbsp;<\/a>for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline constitution is-style-outline--2\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/constitution\">United States Constitution<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline legislative is-style-outline--3\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/lesson-plans\/L2LegislativeHandout.pdf\">Legislative Branch<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline judicial is-style-outline--4\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/about-federal-courts\/court-role-and-structure\">Judicial Branch<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline executive is-style-outline--5\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/constitutioncenter.org\/the-constitution\/articles\/article-ii\">Executive Branch<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline house is-style-outline--6\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.house.gov\/\">House of Representatives<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline senate is-style-outline--7\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/index.htm\">Senate<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline supreme is-style-outline--8\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/\">U.S. Supreme Court<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline appeals is-style-outline--9\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uscourts.gov\/about-federal-courts\/court-role-and-structure\/about-us-courts-appeals\">U.S. Court of Appeals<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline district is-style-outline--10\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fjc.gov\/history\/courts\/u.s.-district-courts-and-federal-judiciary\">U.S. District Courts<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-outline president is-style-outline--11\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/\">President<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow 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