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Law vocabulary · Rights & Obligations

Infringe

Meaning in law, with examples

/ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/verbCommon term

In law, infringe means: To break a law or go against someone's legal right, especially an intellectual property right such as a patent, trademark or copyright.

In Turkish: ihlal etmek, (hakka) tecavüz etmek, çiğnemek

How it is used

Very common in intellectual property: a product 'infringes a patent', and the owner sues for 'infringement'. In human rights law, measures are said to 'infringe' rights or freedoms. It is formal; in general English 'break' or 'violate' are more usual.

Example sentences

  1. The court found that the new logo infringed the company's trademark.

  2. The applicants argued that the ban infringed their freedom of assembly.

Common collocations

  • infringe a patent
  • infringe copyright
  • infringe a right
  • allegedly infringing
  • infringe the law
  • rightSomething the law allows you to have or do, or allows you to demand from others, such as the right to a fair trial or the right to be paid.
  • breachThe act of breaking a law, a contract term or a duty; also used as a verb meaning to break such a rule or promise.
  • human rightsThe basic rights and freedoms that every person has simply because they are human, such as the right to life, to a fair trial and to freedom of expression.
  • injunctionA court order that tells a person or company to stop doing something, or sometimes to do something, often made quickly to prevent serious harm.
  • damagesMoney that a court orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss or harm caused by a breach of contract or another legal wrong.

More terms: Rights & Obligations

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.