Word
copyright
Meanings
the legal right that protects an original creative work and controls how it can be copied, shared, or adapted
the exclusive right to publish or reproduce a particular work
Definition
Copyright is the legal protection that gives creators control over how their original work is used and shared.
Copyright is a legal right that protects original creative works such as books, music, films, photographs, and software. It usually gives the creator exclusive control over copying, distributing, and adapting the work for a certain period of time. Other people typically need permission or a license to use the work in specific ways. Copyright can be transferred or licensed to others under agreed terms.
Examples
- I asked the photographer for permission because the image was under copyright.
- You can’t legally repost the entire article if it is protected by copyright.
- She transferred the copyright to the publisher as part of her book deal.
- They challenged the claim by showing their work was original and not a copyright violation.
Common mistake
Learners often use copyright as a verb (e.g., “to copyright a song”) when it is usually a noun; say “to register copyright” or “to protect a song with copyright” instead.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More nouns
- fascism Fascism is an extreme right-wing political system with a powerful dictator, strong nationalism, and…
- gaslighting Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that makes someone doubt their own memory, judg…
- narcissist A narcissist is someone who is excessively self-centered and craves admiration while showing little…
- empathy Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings.
- metaphor A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else to create a clear image …