pro·tect vt
1: to shield from injury or harm
protect ing public health and safety
2: to secure or preserve against encroachment, infringement, restriction, or violation: maintain the status or integrity of esp. through legal or constitutional guarantees
protect a work against copyright infringement
the First Amendment protect s speech
3: to restrict competition for (as domestic industries) by means of tariffs or trade controls
pro·tect·able or pro·tect·ible adj
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.