generation

(also copy status), n. A class characterized by the number of reproduction cycles between a copy and the original. Something that reflects a significant development from a previous version.

Notes

Generation1 does not consider the number of reproductions made from the same source. Rather, it describes the number of times a new source is made from a copy. A print made directly from a negative is described as a first-generation copy. A reproduction from that print is a second-generation copy, and so forth. - Generation2 is often used to describe major evolutions in technology.