How does the U.S. Constitution give Congress authority to create copyright laws?

The U.S. Constitution provides the legal foundation for federal copyright authority through Article I, Section 8. This clause explicitly empowers Congress to create a national copyright system with the specific purpose to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors...the exclusive Right to their...Writings".1

By granting this authority, the Constitution enables Congress to establish laws—such as the Copyright Act of 1790 and subsequent major revisions like the legislation of 1976—that protect creators by providing them with a limited monopoly over their work. This framework balances the incentive for authors to create with the public interest, ensuring that after a set duration, works eventually enter the public domain.21