copyright

Word family

• copyrighted
  adjectiveB2
• copyrighting
  nounC1
• copyrightable
  adjectiveC1
• copyright holder
  noun phraseB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Copyright, patent, trademark, and license all deal with legal rights to intellectual property, but each covers a different area. Copyright protects original creative works such as books, music, films, and artwork — in most countries, it exists automatically the moment a work is created. A patent protects inventions and industrial processes; it requires a formal application and government approval. A trademark protects brand names, logos, and symbols that identify a business or product. A license is different again — it is not a right you hold by default but rather permission granted by a right-holder for someone else to use their work. For example: 'Dewi holds the copyright to her photographs' (she created them); 'The company patented a new battery design' (they invented it); 'The golden arches are a registered trademark of McDonald's' (brand identity); 'The streaming service obtained a license to show the film' (permission from the copyright owner). When deciding which term to use, ask: Was it created and is it artistic? Use copyright. Was it invented or is it a process? Use patent. Does it identify a brand? Use trademark. Are you seeking permission? Use license.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'copyright' is a compound of 'copy' (from Latin 'copia', meaning abundance or the ability to reproduce) and 'right' (from Old English 'riht', meaning that which is morally correct or legally allowed). The term first appeared in English in the early 1700s, around the time of the Statute of Anne (1710), which is widely considered the first copyright law. Before that, printers held exclusive rights to publish works under royal grants, but the Statute of Anne shifted the right to authors themselves, creating the modern concept of copyright as an author's legal entitlement.