Copyright Law is defined as a legal right which has been given to authors, composers, playwrights, Publishers or to distributors for having exclusive rights to produce or publish their original work. For example under music copyright, only the person who has it copyrighted can have exclusive rights for the music. A particular piece of work which is not under copyright protection is said to be available to anyone and he or she is free to use it without asking for permission from the creator of the work. Works which has been protected by copyrights is generally indicated by ‘C’ with circle around it. Alternatively it will have ‘Copyright’ written followed by name of copyright holder and year of the first publication.
Copyright laws has been governed by Copyright Act of the year 1976 and a particular piece of work which has been granted copyright after January 1st, 1978 has copyright protection till the creator of that particular work is alive in addition to fifty years after he has passed away. Before the copyright law was enacted, the common law use to grant copyright protection to any piece of work which has not been published. However once the copyright act was enacted, all the rights which were given under the common law was abolished. However copyright do not protect concepts, ideas and systems of implementing something. Once you have expressed your idea or concept in form of writing or drawing, only then you can copyright it and have exclusive rights for the same.
