Ability to create new and original ideas, works of art, theories, etc.; ability to express oneself in an original manner; creativity; -- of people.
the ability to think and act independently
having to do with an origin; initial, first; earliest. never having occurred or existed before; not copies; fresh; new; novel. capable of or given to inventing or creating something new, or thinking or acting in a independent, individual, fresh way.[Back to Glossary Index
(1) Essential pre-requisite for copyright protection, work must have substantial elements of originality in content and/or composition or layout. See Bridgeman Art Library Ltd. v. Corel Corporation, 36 F. Supp. 2d 191 (S.D.N.Y. 1999)(2) Impossible concept in postmodern media - see Appropriation definition (2).
"the Constitution mandates originality as a prerequisite for copyright protection. The constitutional requirement necessitates independent creation plus a modicum of creativity" "Originality does not signify novelty; a work may be original even though it closely resembles other works so long as the similarity is fortuitous, not the result of copying." Feist vs. Rural Telephone
Originality is the aspect of created or invented works as being new or novel, and thus can be distinguished from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or derivative works. An original work is one not received from others nor one copied based on the work of others. The term "originality" is often applied as a compliment to the creativity of artists, writers, and thinkers.