In the short term, U.S. copyright law does place restrictions on the use of creative works, setting up tension between the producers of information and entertainment resources and the consumers of that information.

In the long term, however, the purpose of copyright law is to promote learning and creativity.

The U.S. Constitution and the various copyright and patent laws enacted by Congress aim to maintain a balanced environment in which people are encouraged to create new works, and in which, eventually, a work enters the public domain, becoming freely available to all.

By granting the copyright holder exclusive rights over a work for a limited period of time, the system fosters the long-term dissemination of new intellectual works for society as a whole.