diff --git a/dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py b/dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py
index 63ba7614..161b664b 100644
--- a/dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py
+++ b/dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py
@@ -1458,7 +1458,13 @@ class BinaryQuadraticModel(abc.Sized, abc.Container, abc.Iterable):
 
         """
         # new objects are constructed for each, so we just need to pass them in
-        return BinaryQuadraticModel(self.linear, self.quadratic, self.offset, self.vartype, **self.info)
+        new = BinaryQuadraticModel(self.linear,
+                                   self.quadratic,
+                                   self.offset,
+                                   self.vartype,
+                                   **self.info)
+        new.is_writeable = self.is_writeable
+        return new
 
     def energy(self, sample):
         """Determine the energy of the specified sample of a binary quadratic model.
diff --git a/dimod/utilities.py b/dimod/utilities.py
index 54255469..909ce7be 100644
--- a/dimod/utilities.py
+++ b/dimod/utilities.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 """
 Utility functions useful for samplers.
 """
+import copy
 import itertools
 
 from six import iteritems, itervalues
@@ -428,6 +429,14 @@ class LockableDict(dict):
     def __delitem__(self, key):
         super(LockableDict, self).__delitem__(key)
 
+    def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
+        new = type(self)()
+        memo[id(self)] = new
+        new.update((copy.deepcopy(key, memo), copy.deepcopy(value, memo))
+                   for key, value in self.items())
+        new.is_writeable = self.is_writeable
+        return new
+
     @lockable_method
     def clear(self):
         super(LockableDict, self).clear()

deepcopy(bqm) fails for immutable BQMs
```
$ python
Python 3.6.4 (default, May 29 2018, 20:56:16) 
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import dimod, copy
>>> bqm = dimod.BQM.from_ising({'a': 1}, {})
>>> copy.copy(bqm)
BinaryQuadraticModel({'a': 1}, {}, 0.0, Vartype.SPIN)
>>> copy.deepcopy(bqm)
BinaryQuadraticModel({'a': 1}, {}, 0.0, Vartype.SPIN)
>>> 
>>> bqm.is_writeable = False
>>> copy.copy(bqm)
BinaryQuadraticModel({'a': 1}, {}, 0.0, Vartype.SPIN)
>>> copy.deepcopy(bqm)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 180, in deepcopy
    y = _reconstruct(x, memo, *rv)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 280, in _reconstruct
    state = deepcopy(state, memo)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 150, in deepcopy
    y = copier(x, memo)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 240, in _deepcopy_dict
    y[deepcopy(key, memo)] = deepcopy(value, memo)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 180, in deepcopy
    y = _reconstruct(x, memo, *rv)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 306, in _reconstruct
    value = deepcopy(value, memo)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 180, in deepcopy
    y = _reconstruct(x, memo, *rv)
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/copy.py", line 307, in _reconstruct
    y[key] = value
  File "/tmp/tmp.FevbTVueow/lib/python3.6/site-packages/dimod/decorators.py", line 367, in _check_writeable
    raise WriteableError
dimod.exceptions.WriteableError
>>> 
>>> dimod.__version__
'0.8.15'
```
diff --git a/tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py b/tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py
index 7e284793..1874db5a 100644
--- a/tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py
+++ b/tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #
 # ================================================================================================
 
+import copy
 import collections
 import fractions
 import itertools
@@ -2406,3 +2407,29 @@ class TestIsWriteable(unittest.TestCase):
 
         with self.assertRaises(WriteableError):
             bqm.adj['a']['b'] += 5
+
+    def test_copy(self):
+        bqm = dimod.BinaryQuadraticModel.from_ising({}, {'ab': -1})
+        bqm.is_writeable = False
+
+        new = bqm.copy()
+        self.assertEqual(new, bqm)
+        self.assertIsNot(new, bqm)
+        self.assertFalse(new.is_writeable)
+
+    def test_deepcopy(self):
+        bqm = dimod.BinaryQuadraticModel.from_ising({}, {'ab': -1})
+        bqm.is_writeable = False
+
+        new = copy.deepcopy(bqm)
+        self.assertEqual(new, bqm)
+        self.assertIsNot(new, bqm)
+        self.assertFalse(new.is_writeable)
+
+    def test_pickle(self):
+        bqm = dimod.BinaryQuadraticModel.from_ising({}, {'ab': -1})
+        bqm.is_writeable = False
+
+        new = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(bqm))
+        self.assertEqual(new, bqm)
+        self.assertFalse(new.is_writeable)

pip install -e .[all]
parse_log_pytest
requirements.txt
pytest pytest-cov
apt-get update apt-get install -y libboost-dev
3.6
requirements.txt
pytest --no-header -rA --tb=line --color=no -p no:cacheprovider -W ignore::DeprecationWarning
attrs==22.2.0
certifi==2021.5.30
charset-normalizer==2.0.12
codecov==2.1.13
coverage==6.2
Cython==3.0.12
decorator==5.1.1
-e git+https://github.com/dwavesystems/dimod.git@f67f48677202adffea7a5484e021e2599177b238#egg=dimod
idna==3.10
importlib-metadata==4.8.3
iniconfig==1.1.1
jsonschema==2.6.0
mock==2.0.0
networkx==2.0
numpy==1.15.0
packaging==21.3
pandas==0.22.0
pbr==6.1.1
pluggy==1.0.0
py==1.11.0
pymongo==3.7.1
pyparsing==3.1.4
pytest==7.0.1
pytest-cov==4.0.0
python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
pytz==2025.2
requests==2.27.1
simplejson==3.16.0
six==1.11.0
tomli==1.2.3
typing_extensions==4.1.1
urllib3==1.26.20
zipp==3.6.0

name: dimod
channels:
  - defaults
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/r
  - conda-forge
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
  - _openmp_mutex=5.1=1_gnu
  - ca-certificates=2025.2.25=h06a4308_0
  - certifi=2021.5.30=py36h06a4308_0
  - ld_impl_linux-64=2.40=h12ee557_0
  - libffi=3.3=he6710b0_2
  - libgcc-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libgomp=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - libstdcxx-ng=11.2.0=h1234567_1
  - ncurses=6.4=h6a678d5_0
  - openssl=1.1.1w=h7f8727e_0
  - pip=21.2.2=py36h06a4308_0
  - python=3.6.13=h12debd9_1
  - readline=8.2=h5eee18b_0
  - setuptools=58.0.4=py36h06a4308_0
  - sqlite=3.45.3=h5eee18b_0
  - tk=8.6.14=h39e8969_0
  - wheel=0.37.1=pyhd3eb1b0_0
  - xz=5.6.4=h5eee18b_1
  - zlib=1.2.13=h5eee18b_1
  - pip:
      - attrs==22.2.0
      - charset-normalizer==2.0.12
      - codecov==2.1.13
      - coverage==6.2
      - cython==3.0.12
      - decorator==5.1.1
      - idna==3.10
      - importlib-metadata==4.8.3
      - iniconfig==1.1.1
      - jsonschema==2.6.0
      - mock==2.0.0
      - networkx==2.0
      - numpy==1.15.0
      - packaging==21.3
      - pandas==0.22.0
      - pbr==6.1.1
      - pluggy==1.0.0
      - py==1.11.0
      - pymongo==3.7.1
      - pyparsing==3.1.4
      - pytest==7.0.1
      - pytest-cov==4.0.0
      - python-dateutil==2.9.0.post0
      - pytz==2025.2
      - requests==2.27.1
      - simplejson==3.16.0
      - six==1.11.0
      - tomli==1.2.3
      - typing-extensions==4.1.1
      - urllib3==1.26.20
      - zipp==3.6.0
prefix: /opt/conda/envs/dimod

tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_copy tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_deepcopy
tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test__delitem__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test__setitem__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test_clear tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test_pop tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test_popitem tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test_setdefault tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestLockableDict::test_update tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test__contains__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test__eq__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test__iter__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test__len__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test__repr__ tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_interaction tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_interaction_counterpart tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_interactions_from tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_offset tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_variable tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_variable_counterpart tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_add_variables_from tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_binary_property tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_binary_property_relabel tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_change_vartype tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_consistency_after_retrieve tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_construction tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_construction_quadratic tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_construction_vartype tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_contract_variables tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_copy tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_fix_variable tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_fix_variables tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_flip_variable tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_normalize tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_normalize_exclusions tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_partial_relabel_copy tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_partial_relabel_inplace tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_pickle_empty tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_pickle_full tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_relabel_typical tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_relabel_typical_copy tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_relabel_typical_inplace tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_relabel_with_identity tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_relabel_with_overlap tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_remove_interaction tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_remove_interactions_from tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_remove_offset tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_remove_variable tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_remove_variables_from tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_scale tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_scale_exclusions tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_spin_property tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_spin_property_relabel tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_update tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestBinaryQuadraticModel::test_variables tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_file_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_file_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_file_empty_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_file_empty_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_string_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_string_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_string_empty_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_string_empty_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_coo_functional_two_digit_integers_string tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_empty tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_energies_all_ordering tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_energies_cpp tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_energies_misordered tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_coo_file tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_coo_string tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_ising tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_numpy_matrix tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_numpy_vectors tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_numpy_vectors_labels tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_from_qubo tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_info tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_coo_string_empty_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_coo_string_empty_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_coo_string_typical_BINARY tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_coo_string_typical_SPIN tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_ising_binary_to_ising tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_ising_spin_to_ising tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_networkx_graph tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_numpy_matrix tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_numpy_vectors tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_numpy_vectors_labels_sorted tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_numpy_vectors_sorted tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_pandas_dataframe tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_qubo_binary_to_qubo tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestConvert::test_to_qubo_spin_to_qubo tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_empty_v1 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_empty_v2 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_empty_v3 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_v1 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_v2 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_bytes_v3 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_empty_v1 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_empty_v2 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_empty_v3 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_v1 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_v2 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_from_serializable_v3 tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional_bytes tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional_bytes_empty tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional_bytes_info tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional_empty tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_functional_info tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestSerialization::test_variable_labels tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestZeroField::test_one_interaction tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestFromNetworkxGraph::test_empty tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestFromNetworkxGraph::test_functional tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestFromNetworkxGraph::test_no_biases tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_already_existing_biases tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_biases tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_info tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_offset tests/test_binary_quadratic_model.py::TestIsWriteable::test_pickle
dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py dimod/utilities.py
dimod/binary_quadratic_model.py dimod/utilities.py