Copyright

cop·y·right

/ˈkäpēˌrīt/

Noun The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or...

Verb Secure copyright for (such material). History At the beginning of the 18th century the law of copyrighting was put into place around the birth of William Caxton's printing press in Britain. It started when Charles II of England was concerned about the unregulated duplication of books and then passed the Licensing of the Press Act 1662 by Act of Parliament. This established a register of licensed books which required a deposit at Stationers Company of a copy of the persons work. Licensing continued after for books that had been long in affect.

The Development of copyright then continued with the Statue of Anne in 1710 where individual rights for the artist to benefit financially and where the court rulings and legalisation have recognised a right to control the work. 

Enforcing a Copyright

To place a copyright on a type of work it must meet a minimal standard of originality in order to qualify. The copyright will expire after a specific time period, however some jurisdictions may extend this. In the UK the standards for copyright are generally minimal although a single word is not enough to be copyrighted but single words or a short string of words can be registered as a trademark. 

The cost of enforcing will be paid by the copyright holder and will involve legal representation, administrative and/or court costs. 

Being a Poor Man

There is a way to avoid all costs of the court and copyright by sending the works to themselves by registered mail with the date from the postal mark placed on the sealed envelope.