Content is any information that is being distributed. A book, a magazine article, and the information on a website are all content.
Understanding Content
The term “content,” when used in reference to intellectual property law, refers to information that is provided for an audience, typically within a specific context. Content may vary in topic, scope, specifics, subject matter, and medium. Any information that is transmitted to an audience may fall under the heading of content.
The term is often used in reference to media and media methods. Certainly both are important when it comes to the transmission of content. Internet, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, and books are all methods of content transmission. In fact, content may be distributed by more than one method. If an author writes a novel, it may be distributed as a hard-cover book, a soft-cover book and/or a "book-on-tape." It may even be converted into a screenplay and filmed for distribution as a television mini-series or a feature motion picture. But through all these different distribution methods, the content -- the underlying story -- remains the same.
Content may include personal information or public news, and it may be “fiction” or “non-fiction.” A movie is considered content as readily as a documentary or a news broadcast. Content is both produced by original writers and re-transmitted through various sources.
Content may be considered free, (i.e.- in the public domain and available for free use), or may be limited by copyrights and licenses, meaning that the owner and/or creator of the content has the rights to its use and any use without express permission is illegal. Violation of copyright and use of licensed material without permission can result in a violation of intellectual property laws and subsequent penalties.
If you have further questions about content or fair use, consult an experienced intellectual property attorney for advice.