What does copyright protect?

The correct answer is that copyright protects intellectual property rights. Copyright is a legal framework that gives creators exclusive rights to their original works, which can include literature, music, art, and software code. This protection helps ensure that creators can control how their work is used and distributed, preventing unauthorized reproduction or commercialization.

Intellectual property rights are broader and encompass various forms of protection not just limited to copyright, such as patents and trademarks. However, copyright specifically focuses on the expression of ideas rather than the ideas themselves, enabling creators to maintain ownership of their artistic and literary creations.

The other options do not accurately define the scope of copyright. Physical property rights pertain to tangible assets, while software functionality refers to how software operates rather than its creative expression. Trade secrets are confidential business information that provide a competitive edge but are protected through different legal means than copyright.