Copyright Meaning
/ˈkɑpiˌɹaɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe right by law to be the entity which determines who may publish, copy and distribute a piece of writing, music, picture or other work of authorship.
nounSuch an exclusive right as it pertains to one or more specific works.
Sentence Examples
The question "Do records of shogi games have copyright?" has been discussed in many places.
Institutionally, a major restraint is the copyright problem.
Copyright expires seventy years after the death of the author.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The author owns the ____ for her latest novel.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The artist retained full ____ over her original designs, preventing unauthorized reproduction.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English copy English right English copyright From copy + right.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"One of the important points that would have to be examined in such a discussion would be how far the growth of this class has been artificially stimulated by the law of copyright.¹"
— 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 420:
"For me personally, the copyrights and "copywrongs," as I have called them, simply boil down to either one or two things, and that is it's either an act of distribution or it is an act of consumption."
— 2005, Gerard M Stegmaier, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act: 2005 supplement:
"The 1994 law in question was designed to put the United States in compliance with global treaties on intellectual property– the Berne Convention and the so-called Uruguay Round. The federal legislation created copyrights to foreign works that had not previously been covered."
— 2012 January 18, Bill Mears, “Justices allow copyrights on foreign works”, in CNN:
"Anyone accused of copyright would have sixty days to opt-out of the Copyright Claims Board process, in which case the plaintiff would have to seek legal action in court."
— 2019 October 23, Christine Fisher, “House passes controversial copyright bill that could be abused by trolls”, in Engadget:
"Every book will be copyrighted that the publisher believes will have such a market as will justify him in going to the expense of copyrighting to prevent competition from other publishers."
— 1907, United States Congress House. Committee on Appropriations, District of Columbia Appropriations, page 253:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The author owns the ____ for her latest novel.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The artist retained full ____ over her original designs, preventing unauthorized reproduction.