Intellectual Property

Any product of the human mind/intellect that the law protects from unwarranted use by others. One has the rights to apply for a patent, copyright, or trademark for their intellectual product or property.

Background

A term first coined in the early 17th century in regard to the Statue of Monopolies and the Statue of Anne, intellectual property came into prominence at the same time as patents and copyrights. Intellectual property as a concept was meant to facilitate more creativity and was only really given to inventions when necessary.

References

Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. Critical media studies: an introduction. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print.