is the word "property" countable?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

I wonder whether the word “property” is countable or not. For example, is “Intellectual Properties” acceptable?

2

Yes, in the literal and figurative use ‘property’ is countable.

Alan

3

Thanks for your reply, Alan.
Actually, I am not looking at its literal and figurative use. Instead, I am concerned about its use in legal & business community. For example, in legal community, it can mean a piece of real estate or ownership right. I previously thought that when it means ownership right, it shall be uncountable. But I found that the word “Intellectual Properties” was frequently used in legal documents. [“Intellectual Properties” is a kind of ownership right]. This really puzzled me.

4

Hi,

The expression ‘intellectual property’ often refers to a piece of writing (a creative work) that someone has created suggesting that it belongs to that particular writer/composer and should not be used by anyone else.

Alan

5

Alan,
You refer to copyright, but “intellectual property” not only include copyright but also patent, trademark, mask work, trade secret, and so on. But this does not matter. What I want to say is that it is an ownership right. I wonder whether “intellectual properties” is acceptable to native speakers.