Infringes

The verb "infringes" describes the act of actively breaching or violating a law, agreement, right, or principle. It implies a transgression that causes an encroachment or limitation on something that is established or legally protected. This action can be intentional or unintentional, but the outcome remains a violation, potentially leading to legal repercussions, sanctions, or damage to relationships. The context usually involves legally binding concepts such as copyright, patents, contracts, or personal liberties. Infringement highlights the boundaries which should not be crossed and emphasizes the consequences of violating these. The act of 'infringing' is often considered an aggressive action or an instance where one entity is taking some liberty that does not belong to it.

Infringes meaning with examples

• The company's new software, unfortunately, infringes on several existing patents, requiring the legal team to immediately prepare a strategy to avoid potential lawsuits and cease distribution of the offending program to stop more claims of property and law infringement. The firm's future profits were potentially at risk.
• By publishing the novel without authorization, the publisher blatantly infringes on the author's copyright, violating their exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works. The author filed a cease and desist letter to immediately stop the illegal reproduction of the book and will be following up with legal action if required.
• The loud music from the neighboring apartment infringes on our right to peaceful enjoyment of our home, especially during the late hours. This forced us to call the police for a noise complaint and we are planning to file a grievance. The music infringes on the local peace laws and our personal enjoyment.
• The government's surveillance program, according to human rights activists, infringes upon citizens' right to privacy, violating constitutional safeguards against unreasonable searches. The argument is that this is a violation of privacy under any democratic governing system and should be immediately terminated.
• The new trade agreement, as assessed by the smaller businesses, infringes upon their ability to compete with larger corporations, leading to concerns about market dominance. They are afraid that their business will suffer or go bankrupt because their rights are infringed upon.