What is Copyright?
{{morefootnotes|date=May 2012}} [[File:Copyright.svg|thumb|150px|The Copyright symbol]] [[File:FixCopyright- Copy (aka copyright) Tells the Story of His Life.webm|thumb|Video explaining the history of copyright]]'''Copyright''' '''or ©️''' is a [[law]] that gives the [[wikt:work|work]] (for example, a [[book]], [[movie]], [[Television program|television programs]], [[picture]], [[song]] or [[website]]) an ownership. Copyright laws make it easier for owners to make lots of money by selling their works. It is one part of a group of laws about [[intellectual property]] (the others being [[trademark]] and [[patent]] law). It helps protect authors from other people copying their works without permission and/or for commercial purposes. With copyright, a work can only be copied if the owner gives the [[wikt:permission|permission]] to do so. If someone copies a work without permission, the owner can say that they [[copyright infringement|infringed their copyright]]. When this happens, the owner may [[Lawsuit|sue]] for the amount of money that should have been paid. Most cases are handled by [[civil law]]. In more serious cases, a person who copies a work that is protected under copyright could be [[arrest]]ed, [[fine]]d or even go to [[prison]]. Commonly, the copyright law allows to protect the authors and their heirs for 50 to 100 years since the author's death, or the first day of multiple authors' deaths. Many countries have modified their copyright law to meet international standards. However, there are still differences in national laws. In some countries, someone violating copyright law will be sued only to the civil law courts but other countries they can also be charged by criminal courts. == History == Before [[printing press]]es were made, books could only be copied by hand, which took time. But when printing presses were made, books could be copied faster and easier. Because of this, some books were copied by people who did not own the book themselves. So, lawmakers in the 18th century gave only owners