What is copyright? Copyright is the legal ownership of one’s own work. It is the right of the creator to control who uses his or her work. Specifically, the creator has the right to control copying, distributing, deriving, and displaying the original work. There are some qualifications for the copyright law; not just any work can claim a copyright. First, the work has to be tangible (i.e. an article, book, or piece of art), not an idea. Second, the work must be original, meaning that you cannot derive your work from someone else’s. That wouldn’t follow copyright laws, would it? Third, the work must contain creative expression. You can’t just write down a grocery list and claim copyright to it. Last, the work cannot be a title or slogan. Copyright Infringement and Fair Use Copyright infringement is when one or more of the aforementioned copyright laws are broken. Without permission from the creator of the work, copying, distr...