are proprietary to

USAGE SUMMARY

"are proprietary to" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to say that something belongs to someone in a way that can't be copied or used by anyone else. For example, "The advanced technologies used in this product are proprietary to the company's research and development team."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Rental renewal rates are proprietary to landlords and nearly impossible to track.

The New York Times

The switching center may look for all sorts of factors, most of which are proprietary to the company's software.

The New Yorker

Whereas a typical grocery store carries up to sixty thousand SKUS (stock-keeping units), less than twenty per cent of them store brands, Trader Joe's, in sparse Hindu fashion, has about three thousand unique products, eighty per cent of which are proprietary to the store.

The New Yorker

ClassPass has also hired their own instructors to develop classes that are proprietary to ClassPass, rather than licensing out existing workouts and simply streaming them live.

TechCrunch

It announces iPhone recycling programs and pulls out is iPhone-recycling robots Liam and Daisy, which are proprietary to Apple and are not capable of handling the recycling volume associated with the hundreds of millions of iPhones that are sold each year.

Vice

The sequences used are proprietary to Australian Biologics.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

The results won't be proprietary to Dole.

The New York Times - Magazine

You thought straw polls were proprietary to Iowa?

The New York Times

It may be faster, but it has many limitations and is proprietary to Microsoft programs.

The New York Times - Tech

They tend to be proprietary to the exchange on which they are traded.

The Economist

Government officials declined to make a copy of the contract available, saying it contained information that was "proprietary" to DestinationRx.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "are proprietary to", ensure that the context clearly establishes what is being owned and who the owner is. For example, specify, "The algorithm is proprietary to the company."

Common error

Avoid using "proprietary" when you simply mean "unique" or "special". "Proprietary" specifically denotes ownership and legal rights, not just distinctiveness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are proprietary to" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating ownership or exclusive rights. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct. Examples from Ludwig illustrate its use in various contexts, such as describing proprietary software or data.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

10%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "are proprietary to" is a grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that something is owned and protected by a specific entity. As Ludwig AI confirms, its purpose is to assert ownership and define boundaries, primarily appearing in professional contexts like news, science, and business. While uncommon, its usage is consistent and clear, making it a valuable tool for precisely communicating intellectual property rights. Related phrases like "are exclusively owned by" and "belong solely to" can serve as alternatives depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are exclusively owned by

Emphasizes exclusive ownership, highlighting that no other entity has rights to the item.

are the sole property of

Highlights the item's status as the unique possession of the entity.

are privately held by

Stresses that the ownership is private, not public.

are the exclusive domain of

Indicates a unique sphere of control or expertise.

belong solely to

A more concise way to express exclusive ownership.

are the intellectual property of

Specifically refers to the ownership of intellectual assets.

are trademarked by

Implies legal protection of the brand or product.

are patented by

Indicates that the item is protected by a patent.

are confidential to

Highlights the sensitive and non-public nature of the information.

are restricted to

Indicates that access or usage is limited to a specific group or entity.

FAQs

What does "are proprietary to" mean?

The phrase "are proprietary to" indicates that something is owned and legally protected by a specific individual or entity, meaning others cannot freely use, copy, or distribute it without permission.

How to use "are proprietary to" in a sentence?

You can use "are proprietary to" to indicate ownership. For example: "The software's unique features "are exclusive to" our company" or "The data "is confidential to" our research team".

What can I say instead of "are proprietary to"?

You can use alternatives such as "are exclusively owned by", "are the sole property of", or "belong solely to" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "are proprietary to" and "are exclusive to"?

"Are proprietary to" specifically emphasizes legal ownership and protection of intellectual property, while ""are exclusive to"" simply indicates that something is limited to a particular entity or group, without necessarily implying legal ownership.