A copyright is a form of intellectual property protection granted to the creators of original works, such as literary, artistic, musical, or dramatic creations. It provides the creators with exclusive rights to control the use and distribution of their work.

With copyrights the creator has the sole right to reproduce the work, prepare derivative works based on the original, distribute copies of the work, publicly display the work, and perform the work publicly. These rights are granted automatically upon the creation of the work and do not require registration, although registering with government authorities can provide additional benefits and legal protections.

It is important to note that copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. Additionally, there are limitations and exceptions to copyright, such as fair use or fair dealing provisions, which allows certain uses of copyrighted works without the permission from the copyright owner.