creative works

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralformal

   Things produced by imagination and skill, such as books, songs, films, paintings or designs.

   Grammar: Almost always plural: say 'creative works are protected', not 'a creative work are'.

   Patterns

   • protect creative works
   • a collection of creative works
   • copyright in creative works

   The museum displays creative works by local artists.

   Copyright law protects creative works such as novels and songs.

   Her creative works include poems, drawings and a short film.

2. 2nounplurallegallaw

   In law, original products of human creativity that can be owned and protected by copyright.

   Grammar: Used in legal writing; the singular 'a creative work' refers to one such item.

   Patterns

   • ownership of creative works
   • creative works protected by copyright

   The contract states who owns the creative works produced during the job.

   Publishers must get permission to use creative works that belong to others.

Word forms

Common combinations

protect creative works

New laws were introduced to protect creative works online.

original creative works

The prize is open to original creative works in any medium.

a collection of creative works

The gallery showed a collection of creative works from the 1990s.

copyright in creative works

She sold the copyright in her creative works to the studio.

Synonyms and how they differ

artistic works

Often limited to visual art, whereas creative works can include writing, music and film.

works

A shorter term used in the same way, especially in titles and legal texts.

Word family

creative adjective

good at producing new ideas or things

creativity noun

the ability to produce new ideas or things

create verb

to make something new

Commonly confused: creative works or creations?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “creative works”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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