Definition of copyright

Our definition of copyright: A type of intellectual property that gives creators exclusive rights to their original works of authorship.

Often contrasted with

• Trademark: A word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.
• Patent

Other definitions of copyright from around the web

“A form of protection provided by the laws of the United States for ‘original works of authorship’, including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and audiovisual creations. ‘Copyright’ literally means the right to copy but has come to mean that body of exclusive rights granted by law to copyright owners for protection of their work. Copyright protection does not extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, title, principle, or discovery. Similarly, names, titles, short phrases, slogans, familiar symbols, mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, coloring, and listings of contents or ingredients are not subject to copyright.” – U.S. Copyright Office

“A type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression.” – U.S. Copyright Office article, “What is Copyright?“

“A type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time.” – Wikipedia

“The legal right of the owner of intellectual property. In simpler terms, copyright is the right to copy. This means that the original creators of products and anyone they give authorization to are the only ones with the exclusive right to reproduce the work.” – Investopedia

“The exclusive rights granted to the owner or creator of an original work, typically a book, play, motion picture, sound recording, computer program, or trademark.” – The Dictionary of Brand by Marty Neumeier

“A legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture, and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.” – WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Additional thoughts

Many people confuse or conflate copyright and trademark, incorrectly asserting that companies must “get the copyright” for their brand names and logos.

Visit the branding glossary for definitions of other branding terms. This Definition page will be updated periodically with new content. Please share any suggested additions in the comments section.