"Copyright is a type of property that is founded on a person's creative skill and labour. It is designed to prevent the unauthorized use by others of a work, that is, the original form in which an idea or information has been expressed by the creator. Copyright is not a tangible thing. It is made up of a bundle of exclusive economic rights to do certain acts with an original work or other copyright subject-matter. These rights include the right to copy, publish, communicate, and publicly perform the copyright material.”

Source: http://www.ema.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Copyright_Whatiscopyright