As a noun, it is the legal right that gives the creator of a work, like a book or song, control over how it is used and shared. As a verb, it means to get or hold that legal protection.
From *copy* meaning 'written text' and *right* meaning 'legal right'. It developed in the 18th century as printing and publishing grew, to protect authors and publishers.
Copyright doesn’t protect ideas themselves, only the specific way you express them—your exact words, images, or recordings. It automatically exists in most countries the moment you create something original, even if you never write a © symbol. The big challenge today is balancing creators’ rights with the internet’s copy-everything nature.
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