What does copyright law protect?

Copyright law primarily protects the exclusive rights of artists, photographers, and authors by providing them with legal ownership over their original works. This includes the right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, and create derivative works based on their original creations. The focus of copyright is on the protection of creative expression and the financial interests of the creators, ensuring that they have control over how their work is used and shared.

While other options mention aspects of intellectual property and rights related to education, they do not encompass the comprehensive protection that copyright law offers to artists and authors universally. For instance, the rights of educators to publish works can fall under different categories, such as fair use or educational exemptions, rather than direct copyright protection. Intellectual property of instructors during lectures may not always be protected under copyright unless the material is fixed in a tangible medium. Historical documents, while they might be protected under different laws or doctrines, do not specifically fall under the conventional scope of copyright law as they often pertain to factual information rather than creative expression. Therefore, option B stands out as the most accurate representation of what copyright law is designed to protect.