Under copyright law in many countries, which of the following types of works are specifically protected as copyrightable expression?

Introduction / Context:
Copyright law protects original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible medium, such as books, music, paintings, software, and architectural designs. However, it does not protect every kind of intellectual product. General ideas, methods, and simple names usually fall outside copyright protection. This question checks whether you can distinguish between protected expressive works and unprotected subjects like ideas or procedures.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The topic is what kinds of works are protected by copyright.
• Options list ideas, architectural works, procedures, and names.
• We must identify which of these is recognised as a copyrightable category.
• We assume standard principles of modern copyright law.

Concept / Approach:
Copyright protects expression, not ideas. For example, an author can protect the specific words of a novel but not the general idea of a hero and a villain. Similarly, procedures, methods, and systems are not covered by copyright; they may be protected by patents or trade secrets. Simple names and single words are usually matters for trademark law, not copyright. Architectural works, on the other hand, are explicitly recognised as a category of copyrightable works in many jurisdictions, as long as they show original creative expression in the design.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Review the core principle that copyright protects original expression fixed in a tangible medium. Step 2: Evaluate option a and note that abstract ideas are not protected until they are expressed in a specific form, such as a written description or drawing. Step 3: Examine option b and recognise that architectural works involve creative design choices that can be expressed through plans and actual buildings, making them eligible for copyright protection. Step 4: Consider option c, which refers to procedures and methods that are generally excluded from copyright but may fall under other forms of intellectual property law. Step 5: Look at option d, names and single words, which are usually considered too short and generic for copyright and are instead relevant for trademark law. Conclude that only option b correctly identifies a copyrightable category.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling examples from legal study materials that list categories of works such as literary, musical, dramatic, pictorial, and architectural works as eligible for copyright. These sources also stress that ideas, procedures, and systems are explicitly excluded from copyright protection. Names and titles are often said to require other legal tools such as trademarks for protection, confirming that only architectural works among the given options are clearly covered.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong because it deals with ideas without expression; copyright requires a fixed form such as text or drawing. Option c is wrong because procedures and methods of operation are functional and fall outside the scope of copyright, which protects creative expression rather than utilitarian processes. Option d is wrong because simple names are usually not protected by copyright; they may be registered as trademarks instead if they meet other criteria.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse copyright with patents and trademarks and assume that any intellectual product, including ideas and methods, is automatically copyrighted. Another common mistake is to think that a brand name is copyrighted rather than trademarked. Keeping clear distinctions between expression, ideas, functional methods, and branding helps in answering questions on intellectual property correctly.

Final Answer:
Among the options, architectural works such as original building designs are specifically protected by copyright law.