What legal right allows a person to reproduce, publish, and sell their own creative works?

The correct choice is copyright because it is the legal right granted to creators of original works, including literature, music, art, and other forms of creative expression. Copyright protects the creator's exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and perform their work. This means that only the copyright holder has the authority to sell copies or adapt the work, preventing unauthorized use by others. Copyright not only incentivizes creativity by allowing creators to benefit financially from their work but also ensures that they maintain control over how their creations are used in the marketplace.

In this context, trademark relates to brand protection rather than protecting an individual’s creative works. Patents protect inventions or processes for a limited time, specifically addressing functional innovations, while trade secrets involve protecting confidential business information that provides a competitive edge. Therefore, their scopes do not cover the reproduction and publication rights associated with creative works like copyright does.