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copyright
[ kop-ee-rahyt ]
/ ˈkɒp iˌraɪt /
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noun
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 the author or creator and for a period of 70 years after his or her death.
adjective
of or relating to copyrights.
Also cop·y·right·ed. protected by copyright.
verb (used with object)
to secure a copyright on.
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OTHER WORDS FROM copyright
cop·y·right·a·ble, adjectivecop·y·right·er, nounun·cop·y·right·ed, adjectiveWords nearby copyright
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use copyright in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for copyright (1 of 2)
copyright
/ (ˈkɒpɪˌraɪt) /
noun
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)Symbol: (c)
adjective
(of a work, etc) subject to or controlled by copyright
verb
(tr) to take out a copyright on
Derived forms of copyright
copyrightable, adjectivecopyrighter, nounBritish Dictionary definitions for copyright (2 of 2)
©
symbol for
copyright
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for copyright (1 of 2)
copyright
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.
Cultural definitions for copyright (2 of 2)
copyright
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 New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.