Generally, the exclusive right of the author or creator to protect his or her creation, such as a movie, book, music, or other expression. As it relates to franchising, copyrights most often apply to confidential written material (such as the operating manual, proprietary recipes, and the like). Under a franchise agreement, the franchisor usually licenses the franchisee to use those copyrighted materials in the operation of the franchised business for the term of the agreement.