Author generally refers to the creator of literary, artistic and scientific works, and sometimes refers to the founder of a certain theory, or the organizer or planner of an event.

In the copyright laws of the Soviet Union, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Spain and other countries, the author refers to directly engaging in literary and artistic creation activities through his own independent thoughts and using his own skills and methods.

Natural persons who create works that embody the personal characteristics of creators include novelists, poets, prose writers, playwrights, composers, lyricists, journalists, painters, calligraphers, sculptors, handicraft designers, architects, photographers, translators, computer programmers, etc.