Copyright and Giving Credit

Have you ever drawn a big, beautiful picture all by yourself. Maybe you used bright red and sunny yellow colors to make a happy lion. When you finished, did you feel a little wiggle of pride in your tummy. That happy feeling is me. I am the feeling that says, 'This is yours. You made it.'. I am like a big hug for your very own idea. People call me Copyright, and I help everyone know that your special work came from you.

Long, long ago, it was hard to share stories because every book was written by hand. Then, around the year 1440, a super smart machine called the printing press was invented. It could make lots of copies of books really fast. Whee. It was so exciting. But sometimes, people would copy a story and forget to say who wrote it first. This made the person who wrote the story feel sad. So, in a faraway place called Great Britain, people made a kind new rule in the year 1710. The rule was a promise to writers that their stories belonged just to them. It was like a rule to always say 'thank you' to the person who had the idea first. This made authors feel safe and happy to share their wonderful stories.

Today, my job is to help all the amazing creators share their work. I help the people who write your favorite bedtime stories and the artists who draw your favorite cartoons. When you see a name on a book or a song, that’s me helping you know who made that wonderful thing. I make sure everyone gets a big 'hooray' for their hard work. I love helping people share their bright ideas with the world. I am here to remind you that your ideas are special and important, too. So keep drawing, singing, and building. Your ideas are a wonderful gift.