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

“Expert review” appeared at a time when many authors and artists are taking AI companies to court for allegedly violating copyright law by “training” their bots on published work without acknowledgment or payment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 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

Content companies argued that AI firms didn’t have the right to scrape their content and use it to train their models, while tech companies said it was fair use under copyright law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

I was entirely unprotected by copyright law in Germany, and could, consequently, prevent nothing.

From Dramatic Technique by Baker, George Pierce