Copyright can be misunderstood by authors as it is a legal term bandied around everywhere!
Copyright is legal protection of your work produced in certain forms, e.g. writing, music, visual images. The idea is not protected, only the work itself.
This is an automatic protection so you do not have to apply for it. You do not even need to put the word ‘Copyright’ on it in some countries. Your work is protected as soon as you have written it down or produced it in some way, as long as it is your own work.
It is important to know about as it relates to your own work and also to other peoples. It is a form of protection and a statement of ownership. Your work is your intellectual property and as such it needs protecting. With even out of print books now making revenue through print-on-demand, your book could go on earning money for years to come.
One of the requirements of many countries is that copies of books must be submitted to the National Library of the country it is written in. Check whether you are bound by this, but it is still good to send one anyway. This can be proof of your copyright in any legal proceedings.
There is lots more information in Wikipedia here.
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