What is copyright?

Copyright is what helps to stop people from stealing music and artwork from others and reproducing it. Without copyright laws a lot of people could get ripped off, and make the money they rightfully earned. In many cases if the infringer is caught they are forced to pay a certain amount of money to the copyright owner, and stop using their work. Copyright laws state that when using someone elses work you must have their permission and give them credit for their work. The author or owner of the work has the right to allow others to reproduce, distribute, and use their work if they wish to do so.