What is copyright?
Copyright law exists to protect the creator of a written work, music, film etc. from having their work copied, published or distributed by someone else unless express permission has been given. The fundamentals of copyright law are based on a 19th century convention (Berne Convention) which automatically protects a new and original creative work without the need for registering it. In the UK, copyright is covered by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and subsequent revisions, other countries will vary.
Websites are covered by copyright law but with the advent of electronic media then it becomes much easier for original material to be copied. All too often there are reports in the media about plagiarism particularly amongst students lifting material from the internet for their essays. Copyscape is a useful tool for checking for duplicated web content and providing some basic guidance on how to proceed if you find your material has been copied.