What is copyright?
It is the law that gives the owner of a work the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, distribute or perform the work.
What does it protect?
Original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression are protected by copyright laws. Some examples include literary, musical pictorial, audiovisual and dramtatic works.
So any original work you create such as artwork, videos or termpapers is covered by copyright and you can control how it is used by others.
Click here for more copyright basics.
You might think no one is harmed if you violate copyright law and download music, videos and books to your computer. Not only does the copyright holder lose royalties they're entitled to, but you can be fined quite heavily in addition to other legal and academic consequences. Copyright law was designed to give rights to both the creator of the work AND users, too. You should learn enough about copyright law so you can find ways to accomplish your goals while legally using the works of others. Fortunately, many creators of artististic work DO want their works circulated freely and that benefits you! Sometimes, it's your right to use the works of others even if they don't give you permission (i.e., for class projects). Other times, you may need to get permission or pay fees to use the works of others.
Copyright matters because there are very serious consequences, both within the university and in the legal system, for violating the law. Learn more about copyright so you can make wise decisions.
