Copyright is a set of laws enacted to encourage the advancement of knowledge by giving the creator the right to control how the work is used and distributed. This applies to works of art, photographs, movies, books, music, software, and yes, web sites as well. These creations constitute of a type of property known as "intellectual property" and their author's have legally enforceable property rights. The intent of the law is to provide protection to the creator from misuse and theft of their creations, thus creating an economic incentive for further intellectual innovation and creativity. Put simply, if our society allowed individuals to misappropriate the creations of another, there would be no economic motive whereby a creator would be paid for his or her creativity and time. How much of our society's intellectual energy and productivity would be stifled without this protection? Would movie companies still invest millions in special-effect-packed movies, if they had no copyright protection to ensure a system of revenue? Would Ansel Adams, Stephen King, or Missy Elliott be able to devote their lives full-time to their art or would they still be struggling artists with part-time jobs?