Refers to the creator of a written work, often used in copyright contexts. More formal than 作者.
The author of this book is a famous novelist.
Copyright belongs to the author.
author's moral rights; author's personal rights
Compound of 著作 (chosaku, 'writing, authorship') + 者 (sha, 'person'). The term is a straightforward Sino-Japanese formation meaning 'person who writes/creates a work'.