imitation vs copying

imitation and copying both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
imitation	Yes	Yes	No	No
copying	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, copying is a hypernym of imitation; that is, copying is a word with a broader meaning than imitation:

imitation (noun)	copying (noun)
copying (or trying to copy) the actions of someone else	an act of copying
something copied or derived from an original
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect

imitation (adjective)	copying (adjective)
not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article