Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary
Need Professional Help? Talk to a Lawyer
Enter Your Zip Code to Connect with a Lawyer Serving Your Area
Enter Your Zip Code to Connect with a Lawyer Serving Your Area
- Derivative Work
- In copyright, a new creative work based upon an existing work. To be separately protected under copyright law, a derivative must include sufficient original creative work. Examples of derivative works include a translation of a book, a toy based on a cartoon character, or a movie script based on a novel.


