Copyright Validityit— - The Merger Doctrine is a legal concept which states that, when two or more works are combined to form a single product, the copyright of the original works is merged into the new work. This means that the creator of the resulting work is the only one who holds the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and market it. This doctrine applies to literary, musical, dramatic, and artistic works, and serves to protect the original creators by ensuring that they are the sole owners of their works. The doctrine is divided into two main types: 1. The Absolute Merger Doctrine: This doctrine states that once two works are combined, the copyright of the original works is completely merged into the new work. The resulting work is the sole property of the creator, and they have exclusive rights to it. 2. The Partial Merger Doctrine: This doctrine states that the copyright of the original works is partially merged into the new work. The creator of the new work still has exclusive rights to the new work, but the copyright of the original works is not completely merged. This allows other parties to use elements of the original works in new works.