copyright

[kop-ee-rahyt]

noun

1. the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc.: works granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are protected for the lifetime of an author or creator and for a period of 70 years after their death.

adjective

1. of or relating to copyrights.

2. Also copyrighted. protected by copyright.

verb (used with object)

1. to secure a copyright on.

copyright

¹

/ ˈkɒpɪˌraɪt /

noun

1. (c). the exclusive right to produce copies and to control an original literary, musical, or artistic work, granted by law for a specified number of years (in Britain, usually 70 years from the death of the author, composer, etc, or from the date of publication if later)

adjective

1. (of a work, etc) subject to or controlled by copyright

verb

1. (tr) to take out a copyright on

©

²

symbol

1. copyright

copyright

¹

1. The legal protection given to published works, forbidding anyone but the author from publishing or selling them. An author can transfer the copyright to another person or corporation, such as a publishing company.

copyright

²

1. A grant of an exclusive right to produce or sell a book, motion picture, work of art, musical composition, software, or similar product during a specified period of time.

The symbol (see also symbol) for copyright is ©.

Other Word Forms

• copyrightable adjective
• copyrighter noun
• uncopyrighted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of copyright¹

First recorded in 1725–35; copy + right

Example Sentences

In his blog post, Altman said the new policy on characters protected by copyright will be “similar to the opt-in model for likeness but with additional controls.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The company is also grappling with the use of copyrighted characters.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

As first reported in Deadline, the claimants, represented by law firm Edwin Coe, have filed a High Court complaint against Avalon, citing copyright and design right concerns.

Read more on BBC

But other prominent YouTubers pointed out the controversy around what generative AI is trained on - with some arguing it steals copyrighted material without paying the creators.

Read more on BBC

Discovery and Universal, have sued AI businesses for copyright infringement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cartel 
• holding 
• ownership 
• patent 
• trust