Copyright

Example: "Original websites are automatically protected by copyright law."

Copyright protects an author's original work from being copied and republished by others. It gives the author exclusive publication and distribution rights, which means others cannot republish the content without the author's consent. Copyright applies to many types of content, including literary works, artwork, music, video, and digital publications, such as websites and blogs.

In most countries, copyright protection is automatic. However, for highly valuable content, copyrights may be registered with a central agency. Most websites and blogs are protected by automatic copyright, though many include a basic copyright line near the bottom of each page. This short line of text, which often includes the "©" symbol, lets users know the page contains copyrighted content.

First Published: 2009
Last Updated: September 7, 2009