royalty

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
royalty/ˈrɔɪəlti/

▶noun (pl. royalties)

• 1 people of royal blood or status.

  ■ the status or power of a king or queen.

• 2 a sum paid for the use of a patent or to an author or composer for each copy of a book sold or for each public performance of a work.

• 3 a royal right (now especially over minerals) granted by the sovereign.

  ■ a payment made by a producer of minerals, oil, or natural gas to the owner of the site.