with copyright, a work can only be copied if the owner gives permission. if someone copies a work without permission, the owner can say they infringed their copyright. when this happens, the owner may sue for the amount 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 arrested, fined or even go to prison. commonly, the copyright law will protect the authors and their heirs for 50 to 100 years since the author's death, or the first day of multiple authors' deaths.