Analogous mechanisms used in Swift are related to mutation semantics and value/reference types:
Value Types: Swift structs, enums, and tuples are value types. When a value type instance is assigned to a new variable or passed as a function argument, a copy of the data is created. Changes to the new copy do not affect the original, similar to how making copies of copyrighted material allows independent modification of the copy without altering the original.
swiftCopy-on-Write (COW): Many built-in collection types (Array, Dictionary, Set, String, Data) implement Copy-on-Write semantics. This is an optimization where multiple variables can initially share the same underlying storage (like a shared copyright license). A true copy is only made when one of the variables attempts to modify the shared data. This is analogous to granting multiple parties read-only access to copyrighted material, but requiring them to make their own copy before making any modifications.
swiftThese mechanisms ensure that modifications to one instance of a value type (or a COW collection after modification) do not unexpectedly affect other instances, providing clear ownership and predictable behavior, much like copyright defines clear rights and limitations regarding the use and modification of intellectual property.