copyright
KOP-ee-ryte
/ˈkɒp.i.raɪt/
The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material.
Protects expression of ideas in tangible form, not the underlying ideas or concepts themselves.
The story behind the word. The concept arose in Britain with the Statute of Anne in 1710, which granted authors the 'right to print copies' of their own books for a fixed term, ending stationers' monopolies.
Word relationships
- ownership: Ownership is general property possession, whereas copyright specifically covers creative expressions.
- public domain: Works in the public domain have no active copyright protections.
Commonly confused with
- trademark: Copyright covers creative expressions (books, music, software), while trademark covers brand names and logos.
Word family
- copyrighted (adjective): Protected by copyright law.
Collocations
- copyright infringement
- hold the copyright
- copyright protection
- copyright notice
Example sentences
- "The author retained the copyright to her novel while granting the publisher print distribution rights." Publishing industry agreement
- "Congress shall have Power To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Legal text reference
Memory hook
COPYRIGHT gives you the RIGHT to decide who can COPY your original art. COPYRIGHT = Right to copy.
When not to use
Do not use 'copyright' to describe protection for physical inventions or business brand names.
Fun facts
- The copyright symbol © was established internationally in 1952 at the Universal Copyright Convention.
Related words
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