SINCE 1828
intellectual property
nounDefinition of intellectual property
: property (such as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect
also
: an application, right, or registration relating to this
Examples of intellectual property in a Sentence
Any song that you write is your intellectual property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite their attempts not to run afoul of the university, Illinois sued the startup for intellectual property infringement. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Later, Navigator: How Netscape Won and Then Lost the World Wide Web," 4 Apr. 2019 But on other issues, such as intellectual property protection, the two sides are much farther apart. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "The 7 biggest foreign news stories to watch in 2019, from Brexit to North Korea," 24 Dec. 2018 President Trump’s trade team is in fraught negotiations over China’s intellectual property protection and industrial policies. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "Guangdong’s Factories Speak No Evil, Even if They Wanted To," 23 Dec. 2018 The tariffs won't take effect until late May at the earliest, but the message to China was clear: Trump wants China to buy more U.S. stuff and do a better job protecting U.S. intellectual property. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Analysis: China just punched US back over trade; is it time to worry?," 4 Apr. 2018 With space so sensitive and missile technology so similar, these safeguards are meant to protect national security as well as American intellectual property. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Can the U.S. Save Alcantara, Brazil’s Cursed Spaceport?," 20 Mar. 2019 The two sides remain divided on a number of more challenging issues such as Beijing’s subsidies to domestic firms and better protection of American intellectual property. — WSJ, "China’s Annual Trade Surplus With U.S. Hits Record Despite Trump’s Tariff Offensive," 13 Jan. 2019 Trump accuses China of unfair trade practices, such as subsidizing certain industries and ripping off American intellectual property. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Taxing oxygen? It could happen. President Trump threatens wide-ranging tariffs on China," 11 July 2018 General Inquiries: Please send general inquiries regarding intellectual property issues to FEEDBACK 2. — Bloomberg, "Terms of Service," 8 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intellectual property.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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