Meaning & use
proprietary rights
Last updated
Meanings
phraseplurallegal
Legal rights of an owner to control and use property or an invention.
Grammar: Plural noun phrase; use 'a proprietary right' for a single right.
Patterns
- proprietary rights over something
- proprietary rights in something
- hold proprietary rights
The company holds proprietary rights over the software.
She sold her proprietary rights to the invention for a large sum.
The contract transfers proprietary rights in the land to the buyer.
phrasepluralbusiness
Exclusive rights to own or use a brand, design, or secret process.
Grammar: Often used in business contexts about trademarks, patents, or trade secrets.
Patterns
- proprietary rights to something
- protect proprietary rights
The firm protects its proprietary rights to the formula.
They claimed proprietary rights to the name and logo.
Word forms
| singular | proprietary right |
|---|
Common combinations
- hold proprietary rights
- The university holds proprietary rights to the research.
- proprietary rights over
- The tribe has proprietary rights over the ancestral land.
- transfer proprietary rights
- The agreement transfers proprietary rights to the new owner.
- protect proprietary rights
- Laws exist to protect proprietary rights in creative works.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ownership rights
- A more everyday phrase with the same basic meaning.
- intellectual property rights
- Specifically about creations of the mind, such as patents and copyrights.
Word family
- proprietary adjective
- Relating to an owner or ownership; also used for exclusive products.
- proprietor noun
- The owner of a business or property.
Commonly confused: proprietary rights or property rights?
proprietary rights vs property rights
A broader term for rights to use and enjoy property; 'proprietary rights' often emphasizes ownership or exclusive control.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'proprietary rights' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A uses the phrase correctly as a plural noun with 'over'. B uses it as a verb, which is wrong. C has a plural noun with a singular verb. D uses it as a verb and makes no sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proprietary rights”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.