PROPRIETARY (ADJ)

adj. Relating or pertaining to ownership, belonging or pertaining to a single individual owner. Proprietary articles. Goods manufactured under some exclusive individual right to make and sell them. The term is chiefly used in the internal revenue laws of the United States. See Ferguson v. Arthur, 117 U. S. 482, 6 Sup. Ct. 861, 2d L. Ed. 979; In re Gourd (C. C.) 49 Fed. 729. Proprietary chapel See CHAPEL. Proprietary governments. This expression is used by Blackstone to denote governments granted out by the crown to individuals, in the nature of feudatory principalities, with inferior regalities and subordinate powers of legislation such as formerly belonged to the owners of counties palatine. 1 Bl. Comm. 108. Proprietary rights. Those rights which an owner of property has by virtue of his ownership. When proprietary rights are opposed to acquired rights, such as easements, franchises, etc., they are more often called “natural rights” Sweet.