When someone creates a "work of art" which includes original writing, drawings or photographs, they automatically have the copyright to that work. A copyright is the ownership of that work and the right to control its use and any profit made from it. This make it so that people can benefit from the work they do to make the creations. The creator can give other people permission or licensing to use that work. A copyright does not protect ideas. It does protect the way those ideas are expressed from copying. Violating someone's copyright can be against both civil and criminal law.