Copyright

Copyright is a law that gives the owner of a work (for example, a book, movie, picture, song or website) the right to say how other people can use it. Copyright laws make it easier for authors to make money by selling their works. ... With copyright, a work can only be copied if the owner gives permission.

Copyright is a legal means of protecting an author's work. It is a type of intellectual property that provides exclusive publication, distribution, and usage rights for the author. This means whatever content the author created cannot be used or published by anyone else without the consent of the author. The length of copyright protection may vary from country to country, but it usually lasts for the life of the author plus 50 to 100 years.

What is eligible for copyright?

To be protected by copyright, the work must be more than an idea. It must be fixed in a "tangible form of expression." This means the work must be written or otherwise recorded. This is because a copyright does not protect an idea or plan: it protects the expression of that idea or plan.

For example, if you post a blog on the Internet, your content is automatically covered by copyright. In most cases, this type of copyright protection is all that is necessary. However, if you want others to know your content is copyright protected, you can post the copyright logo (©) next to your name on any Web pages that include your original content. You may also want to include the years you have owned the content. Below is an example of a copyright line:

Copyright © 2007-2009 [your name].

In situations where it is critical to protect an author's rights, many countries provide copyright registration, which allows authors to register copyrighted content with a central agency. This makes it easier to prove ownership of content if it is ever disputed.