Copyright protects expression, not facts

Copyright protects the original way you express an idea, not the idea or fact itself. For example, a spreadsheet listing public weather data is not protected, but a creative chart that arranges that data with unique colours, labels, and layout may be. The key contrast: facts are free for anyone to use, but the specific expression you create can be yours. In EPSO questions, watch for items that describe a dataset or a method — those are not copyrightable, even if they took effort to compile.

To spot the trap, ask yourself: is the question describing a creative work (like a painting, poem, or graphic design) or a factual compilation (like a phone book or raw statistics)? If it is a chart or table, check whether the question mentions original design choices — if not, it likely falls outside copyright. Another trick: if the item says 'facts' or 'data', copyright does not apply. Also remember that ideas, procedures, and methods are never protected, only the tangible expression of them.

A compact way to test yourself: imagine a colleague copies your spreadsheet of public census numbers — no copyright infringement. But if they copy your infographic that uses those numbers with your original layout and colour scheme, that could be infringement. The rule of thumb: if you can separate the fact from the expression, copyright only covers the expression.