What rights do copyright laws provide to their owners?

Copyright laws grant owners exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute their original works, which is fundamental to the protection of intellectual property. This means that the creator or the copyright holder has the sole authority to make copies of their work, whether it’s a book, music, or artwork, and to distribute those copies to the public. This exclusivity incentivizes creativity and innovation by allowing creators to control the use of their work and benefit financially from it.

The other options do not accurately reflect the rights conferred by copyright law. The right to free speech, while important, is more related to the First Amendment and not specific to copyright ownership. Selling public information is not inherently a right under copyright law, as public information is generally not subject to copyright. Lastly, exemption from public scrutiny does not pertain to copyright; rather, copyright holders are often subject to legal obligations and cannot hide their work from the public if it is used or displayed in certain contexts.