The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor (Or Software Author) to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic (Or programmatic) work.

Compare CopyLeft.

Everything you create is automatically assigned copyright (which lasts a limited term: or if you're in America, for the rest of the Universe's natural existance, it would seem). You can remove copyright from something and put it in the PublicDomain.

Note: (c) is NOT legally enforcable as a copyright symbol. Don't use it. Ever. You need a C in a closed circle, like such: ©