Copyright

A law that grants sole use and distribution rights to the creator of a specific piece of media.

Background

Copyright came to be with the invention of the printing press when literacy became more prevalent in society. Now it has moved to every platform that exists in media like film, literature, music, and print media.

References

Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. Critical media studies: an introduction. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print.