Copyright protects artistic works like music, movies, books, and paintings. It gives the creator exclusive rights over publishing and selling their work. The purpose of copyright is to credit artists and promote innovation. Downloading copyrighted content without permission is considered illegal, though laws and enforcement may vary by country. To copyright a work, it simply needs to be original and fixed in a tangible form. Copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 50-70 years in most places.