Legal protection granted to the originators of creative works.
Refers to the practice in the United States, because intellectual property is treated differently in other countries. Specifically, the United States grants legal protection in the cases of copyright, patents, and trademarks.
Copyright is distinct from other forms of legal protection granted to originators of creative works such as patents, which give inventors exclusive rights over use of their inventions, and trademarks, which give businesses exclusive rights over words, symbols, and other devices affixed to goods for the purpose of signifying their authenticity to the public. All three types of legal protection comprise an area of law known as intellectual property.