What is a Copyright?

Copyright is a legal protection granted to the creator of an original work, giving them exclusive rights to control how the work is used, reproduced, distributed, and publicly performed. It applies to creative works such as music, recordings, lyrics, films, books, and artwork.

In music, copyright generally protects both the musical composition (the melody, harmony, and lyrics) and the sound recording (the recorded performance of the music). These rights allow creators to decide who can copy, perform, distribute, or adapt their work.

Copyright protection usually begins automatically when a work is created and fixed in a tangible form, such as being written down or recorded. The protection lasts for a specific period defined by law, after which the work may enter the public domain and become freely usable by others.