copyright law

American  

[kop-ee-rahyt law] / ˈkɒp iˌraɪt ˈlɔ /

noun

1. the body of laws and regulations that govern the exclusive rights of an author or creator to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit their literary, musical, or artistic work.

   This website will not be held responsible for member-posted information that may violate copyright law.

   U.S. copyright law protects photos, and a patchwork of state laws limits the use of your name or likeness without permission.

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Example Sentences

AI-generated creative works cannot be copyrighted when the machine is claimed as the sole author, since copyright law fundamentally requires that works owe their origin to human beings rather than autonomous computational systems.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

“ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs,” the association said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Alina Trapova, an assistant professor in copyright law at University College London, also believes it to be first time an actor has attempted to use trademark law to their benefit against AI.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

And each year, when the twinkling holiday lights fade to a hazy glow and the gingerbread is nothing more than crumbs, I thank copyright law for giving me my favorite Christmas tradition: Ebony Scrooge.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

In both cases, the publishers had sought to maintain the retail price of a book, as a right under the copyright law.

From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers