proprietary

proprietary definition - business

proprietary

Of or relating to private ownership with exclusive rights of use protected by copyright, patent, or trademark. For example, a proprietary good such as the antidepressant drug Prozac is protected by patent such that it can be manufactured and sold only by Eli Lilly & Co.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Business Terms Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.