copy protection

American  

noun

Computers.

1. a routine that is included in a program by its publisher to prevent the software from being duplicated except for a single backup copy.

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Other Word Forms

• copy-protected
  adjective

Example Sentences

This morning, the office submitted new exemptions to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which bars breaking software copy protection.

From The Verge • Oct. 27, 2021

There was always the possibility of surprise — a mislabeled tape or a prankster foiling the copy protection tab and adding a weird home movie at the end of “Sleepless in Seattle.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2017

One journalist observed that the court’s ruling “prompted printer companies to try and develop more intricate forms of copy protection for cartridges.”

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2016

Matthew Green, a computer researcher, could be punished for investigating software vulnerabilities if he had to bypass a copy protection system to do so.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2016

People who write cracks consider themselves challenged by the copy protection measures.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.