A copyright gives an author exclusive rights to an original work. The copyright doesn’t go on indefinitely though, it only lasts for a specific amount of time. This would include the publication, its distribution and any adapting of the work once it becomes public domain. A copyright is an umbrella term which can describe intellectual property as well as trademarks and patents.
The copyright of a work has an internationalized standard that will last anywhere from fifty to one hundred years after the author dies. The copyright can be of a shorter duration if the work was done anonymously or has a corporate author. Most cases of infringement are handled as civil matters although some have applied in criminal sanctions. The idea of protecting ones work was established in 1710 in Britain with the Statute of Anne.