Copyrighted

/ˈkɒpiˌraɪtɪd/

adjectivemedium📊CommonLegal
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Protected by copyright; legally secured against unauthorized use or reproduction.

/ˈkɒpiˌraɪtɪd/

adjectiveneutralmedium
Legal

Protected by copyright

The author's latest novel is copyrighted, preventing others from publishing it without their consent.

💡 Simply: It's like putting a 'Do Not Copy' sign on something you made, like a drawing or a song. It means other people can't use it without your permission.

👶 For kids: It means something is protected by law so that only the person who made it can copy it or share it.

More Examples

2

All the images on this website are copyrighted and may not be used without written permission.

3

The software package comes with a disclaimer stating that the code is copyrighted.

How It's Used

Legal

"The book is a copyrighted work, and unauthorized reproduction is illegal."

Media

"The music used in the commercial was copyrighted, requiring permission."

2

Past tense and past participle of copyright: To have secured a copyright for (a work).

/ˈkɒpiˌraɪtɪd/

verbneutralAdvanced
Literature

Having been granted copyright

She copyrighted the music she composed for her documentary film.

💡 Simply: Imagine you write a cool story. When you copyright it, it’s like you've put a magical lock on it so that nobody can copy it without asking you first!

👶 For kids: When you copyright something, it means the person who made it has special permission to decide who else can use it.

More Examples

2

The company copyrighted the logo to prevent competitors from using it.

3

He copyrighted his new invention to protect his ideas.

How It's Used

Legal

"The artist copyrighted their new painting to secure their intellectual property."

Tip:Imagine locking your creative work in a secure vault with a copyright lock.

Idioms & expressions

Copyright infringement

The act of violating the exclusive rights of a copyright holder, such as copying, distributing, or creating derivative works without permission.

"The unauthorized use of the music resulted in copyright infringement."

From "copyright" (a legal right) + "-ed" (past participle suffix). Copyright itself derives from the right to copy something and control its reproduction, dating back to the early days of printing and the need to protect authors' and publishers' interests.

Copyright laws and the concept of copyrighting have evolved significantly over time, starting with the need to protect the rights of book publishers and authors.

Memory tip

Think of the shield on a crest, protecting an artistic work from being copied without permission.

Word Origin

LanguageMiddle English
Original meaning

"The right to copy"

copyrighted workcopyrighted materialcopyrighted image

Common misspellings

copywritedcopy-righted

Usage

10%Spoken
90%Written