CopyRIGHT or copyWRITE? They sound the same but have profoundly different meanings; and the key is in the spelling.
A copywriter is a writer, usually of advertising copy. Copyright, on the other hand, is a right of ownership, ie the law as it applies to an original work, affording protection for the owner who is usually, but not always, the author or other originator.
Assumptive Rights
Copyright is a legal term, which means that precise interpretation varies from country to country. In general though, it is the assumption that the owner of a written work has certain rights when it comes to how it is used by others.
In order to establish such rights she might choose to mark the work by appending the word ‘Copyright’ to it, or the internationally recognized symbol ©, which means the same thing (but not (c) which doesn’t) together with her name and the date (or just the year) of its creation. In most Western countries though, it is not a legal necessity; owner’s copyright is assumed regardless.
All Rights Reserved
The term All Rights Reserved is also often used. This can be a way of announcing that the owner would consider relinquishing or transferring one or more of her rights to the work, usually under a license agreement or similar arrangement, in return for certain considerations.
What Rights?
So what ‘rights’ are assumed? Well, an obvious one is the right to make copies (eg with a photocopier). If it can be performed in public, such as a theatrical work, that is another right that a copyright owner assumes exclusivity for. Displaying a work in public is another.
The right to modify it to suit a purpose not originally intended (eg a screenplay based on a book) is another. These exclusive rights of reproduction don’t last forever. In most Western societies they expire 50 years after their owner’s death.
Ownership
Also, an author is not necessarily the owner of the copyright just because she created that particular piece of work. If it was commissioned or otherwise created on someone else’s behalf, chances are that they (the aforementioned ‘someone else’!) are the copyright holders.