What is the legal ownership of material like books and music that prevents copying called?

The legal ownership of material such as books and music that prevents unauthorized copying is known as copyright. Copyright grants the creator of original works exclusive rights to their use and distribution, usually for a limited time, with the intent of enabling creators to control their intellectual property and benefit economically from it. This means that only the copyright holder has the authority to reproduce, distribute, or display the work publicly, which helps to protect the creative expression involved in various forms of media.

While trademarks, patents, and intellectual property are related concepts, they pertain to different aspects of legal rights. Trademarks protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods or services, patents give rights to inventors of new inventions, and intellectual property is a broader term encompassing all types of creative works and inventions, of which copyright is a specific type. Thus, copyright is the most accurate term for the protection of literary and musical works.