Legal Definitions - comprint

Definition: Comprint (kom-print) refers to the act of illegally printing and selling someone else's work without their permission. It is often associated with copyright infringement.

Explanation: The term comprint has been mistakenly used as a legal term since 1706, but it has never been a real offense. The word actually means "to share in printing (a book)," but it was given the wrong definition by John Kersey when he produced a new edition of Edward Phillips's New World of English Words. Since then, some legal dictionaries have copied this incorrect definition.

Example: If a person copies and sells a book without the author's permission, they are committing comprint. For instance, if someone prints and sells Harry Potter books without J.K. Rowling's permission, they are guilty of comprint.

Explanation: This example illustrates how comprint is associated with copyright infringement. J.K. Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter books, and anyone who prints and sells them without her permission is breaking the law. This is an example of comprint.