Copyright refers to laws that regulate the use, copying, distribution, alteration and display of creative works like art, literature and other media. Unless otherwise stated, the creator retains the copyright. For copyright to apply, the work must be an original idea expressed physically, like an illustration or novel. Breaking copyright law can result in fines, loss of property, freedom or employment, especially if attempting to profit from another's work without permission. Penalties increase based on scale of violation and monetary gain. To use a copyrighted work like a song, permission is required from the copyright holder like Warner Music Group.

1. Copyright ©

2. Definition:
• Copyright refers to laws that regulate the use of
the work of a creator, such as an artist or author.
This includes copying, distributing, altering and
displaying creative, literary and other types of
work. Unless otherwise stated in a contract, the
author or creator of a work retains the copyright.
• For a copyright to apply to a work, it must be an
original idea that is put to use. The idea alone
cannot be protected by copyright. It is the physical
use of that idea, such as an illustration or a written
novel, that is covered under copyright law.

3. What happens if you break the copyright
law?
• While there are many consequences of breaking copyright laws, the most common can include
monetary fines, loss of property, loss of freedom or loss of employment. Typically, copyright
law violations involve someone attempting to profit from, distribute or claim material to which they
have no rights. In some countries, copyright infringement — the use of copyrighted material
without permission or the right of ownership — could carry the penalty of criminal punishment and
civil punishment if the copyright owner should choose to file a claim and take the guilty party to
court.
• In almost all cases of copyright law violations, no legal action takes place unless the copyright
owner actively files a legal claim against the infringing party. Civil penalties faced by a person
found guilty of breaking copyright laws might include monetary fines based on the scale of the
violation as well as monetary compensation for time and resources spent tracking and prosecuting
the violation. The court might award additional monetary compensation for consideration of wages
lost by the copyright owner.
• Penalties for breaking copyright laws can often scale in magnitude. A key consideration is whether
the violator attempted to or did receive monetary compensation for the materials.
The copyright owner might also choose to pursue all or only some of the violations in court.

4. To ensure that I do not break this copyright rule I will have to contact Warner Music
Group personally, possibly via email or letter in order to ask permission to use one of
their songs in my coursework.