Which of the following terms best defines the automatic right to one’s original creative work?

The term that best defines the automatic right to one’s original creative work is copyright. Copyright is a legal concept that grants the creator of original works exclusive rights to their use and distribution, typically for a limited time, with the intent of enabling the creator to receive compensation for their intellectual investment. This includes works such as literature, music, art, and software, among others.

When a creator produces an original work, copyright protection is automatically applied, meaning there is no need for formal registration to benefit from this protection; the rights belong to the creator as soon as the work is fixed in a tangible medium. Copyright allows creators to control how their work is used, ensuring that they can prevent unauthorized reproductions or adaptations of their work and can license their work to others under specific terms.

In contrast, while intellectual property covers a broader category of rights that includes copyright, trademarks, and patents, it does not solely focus on the creative works themselves. Trademarks protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods or services, and rights management refers to the systems and methods used to oversee and enforce those rights, which doesn't directly define the creator's automatic rights to their original work.