French

Noun

ayant droit m ‎(plural ayants droit)

1. One who holds, but did not generate, a given right; especially, a copyright holder who has inherited the copyright from an author.
   • 2009, Marie-Catherine Beuth, “Fronde contre Google dans le livre numérique” (“Opposition to Google in the Digital Book”), in Le Figaro, 2009 August 22:

     Microsoft, Amazon et Yahoo! rejoignent la coalition Open Book Alliance, opposée à l'accord entre le groupe Internet et les ayants droit américains.

     Microsoft, Amazon and Yahoo! join the Open Book Alliance, a coalition opposed to the agreement between the Internet group [Google] and American copyright holders.