intellectual property

IPA/ˌɪntəˌlektʃuəl ˈprɒpəti/
IPA/ˌɪntəˌlektʃuəl ˈprɑːpərti/

intellectual property — noun

1. an original creation of the mind — such as an invention, a book, a logo, or a pi

1.名詞B2
釋義

an original creation of the mind — such as an invention, a book, a logo, or a piece of music — for which a person or business has exclusive legal rights, preventing others from copying, selling, or using it without permission.

例句

David's startup filed several patents to protect the intellectual property behind its new battery technology.

collocation: protect intellectual property

A Seoul clothing company licensed Naoko's fabric patterns as intellectual property for a fee.

license [something] as intellectual property

同義詞
  • IP

    the standard abbreviation, very common in business and legal writing

  • intangible asset

    a broader accounting term that includes non-physical assets beyond creations of the mind, such as goodwill

  • copyright

    narrower — refers specifically to the legal right over original creative works, not inventions or trademarks

反義詞
  • public domain

    creations that are not protected by intellectual property law and can be used freely by anyone

  • physical property

    tangible assets such as land, buildings, or equipment

文法句型

possessive + intellectual property

intellectual property + noun (e.g. intellectual property rights)

用法筆記

In legal and business contexts, this sense is often abbreviated as IP. The phrase intellectual property rights (IPR) is commonly used to refer specifically to the legal protections (patents, copyrights, trademarks) rather than the creations themselves.

常見錯誤

❌I have a great intellectual property for an app.
✅I have a great idea for an app that could be protected as intellectual property.
💡intellectual property is the legal right, not the idea itself.
❌The company lost their intellectual properties in the fire.
✅The company lost its intellectual property records in the fire.
💡intellectual property is uncountable and describes intangible assets that cannot be physically destroyed.

2. any product of human intelligence or creativity — including ideas, knowledge, ar

2.名詞B2
釋義

any product of human intelligence or creativity — including ideas, knowledge, artistic work, or brand identity — that is treated as a valuable asset because of the effort and thought that went into producing it, regardless of whether it has formal legal protection.

例句

Luca says the pasta sauce recipe his grandmother created over decades is intellectual property, even without a patent.

contrast between conceptual IP and formal legal protection

Many musicians worry that artificial intelligence tools now produce songs that draw on their intellectual property without credit.

同義詞
  • creation

    a more general term that does not emphasise the legal or asset-like nature

  • work of the mind

    a formal, literary-sounding alternative that stresses intellectual origin

  • original content

    common in digital-media contexts for material someone has produced

文法句型

possessive + intellectual property

[something] is (someone's) intellectual property

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (LEGAL PROTECTION): this broader sense does not require a registered patent, copyright, or trademark. A family recipe, an unpublished story, or a traditional craft technique can all be described as intellectual property in this sense, even if the law does not formally recognise the claim.

常見錯誤

❌I have an intellectual property.
✅I have something that counts as intellectual property.
💡intellectual property is uncountable; do not use 'an' with it.
❌This is my intellectual property because I paid for it.
✅This is my intellectual property because I created it through original thought or effort.
💡paying for something gives you physical ownership, not intellectual property rights.