Copyright and intellectual property law, while federally governed, affects municipalities in various ways. Municipalities must respect copyright when using images, documents, music, or software created by others—requiring licenses or permissions for use. Conversely, municipalities create content (reports, photographs, maps, data) with potential copyright implications. Open data initiatives involve municipalities making data freely available, requiring consideration of licensing terms. Procurement contracts address who owns intellectual property created under contract. Understanding intellectual property helps municipalities avoid infringement while strategically managing their own creative output and data assets.