copyright

noun
UK: /ˈkɒpiraɪt/
US: /ˈkɑːpiraɪt/

  1. The legal right to control how a creative work is used.

    1. The song has a copyright, so you can't use it freely.
    2. This copyright protects the author's work from unauthorized reproduction.

  2. The exclusive legal right to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material.

    1. She owns the copyright to all her books and articles now.
    2. Copyright law ensures that creators are rewarded for their intellectual property.

Synonyms

right authorship protection patent
copyright verb

  1. To get a copyright for something that you created.

    1. She copyrighted her new song last year successfully.
    2. Authors should copyright their work to prevent illegal copying.

  2. To protect a work with a copyright, legally preventing others from copying or distributing it without permission.

    1. They decided to copyright the software to protect their investment.
    2. The company will copyright its logo to prevent brand impersonation.
copyright adjective

  1. Protected by copyright.

    1. The copyright work is not free for you now.
    2. This photograph is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "copyright" in English means: The legal right to control how a creative work is used., The exclusive legal right to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material..

The phonetic transcription of "copyright" is /ˈkɒpiraɪt/ in British English and /ˈkɑːpiraɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "copyright": right, authorship, protection, patent.

Example usage of "copyright": "The song has a copyright, so you can't use it freely.". More examples on the page.