What are Copyright and Related Rights?
Copyright is a right given to authors, artists and creators for protection of their works such as literary and artistic creations namely, novels, newspapers, advertisements, poems, plays, paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, architecture, computer programs, databases, films, musical compositions, choreography, maps and technical drawings.
Related rights that cover rights similar to those of copyright, although sometimes more limited and for short duration. The beneficiaries of related rights are performers in their performances, producers of phonograms in their sound recordings and broadcasting organizations in their radio and television programs.
What does copyright protect?
Following are the various types of copyright work that can be protected under Copyright Law.
Literary works are the written works by using letters, numbers or symbols. The literary works also include accounts, reports, poems, computer programs, databases and timetables, etc.
Artistic works are the two-dimensional or three-dimensional works such as maps, drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, medals and seals.
Dramatic works are to be performed such as plays and choreography and the musical works are related to music such as song.
Sound recordings are the actual recording of sounds such as a piece of music that is recorded.
Films that include videos and DVDs.
Typographical arrangements such as layout of a page. For example, creating the combination of columns, images, advertisements on a newspaper page and headlines.
Who owns copyright?
The first owner or owners of copyright are as follows:-
Author: a person who created the work and responsible for its contents.
Employer: if the work is produced by an employee during the employment period.
Producer and Principal Director jointly: related to film.
Producer of Sound Recording: the person who initiated and financed for the recording.
Publisher related to typographical arrangement.
The copyright can be bequeathed to an individual or to a body through executing a will or can be assigned to an individual or to a body through executing the deed of assignment signed by the owner or assigner and the assignee.
What is the term of protection?
Copyright and related rights protection is obtained automatically without the need for registration or other formalities. However, many countries provide for a national system of optional registration and deposit of works. These systems facilitate, for example, questions involving disputes over ownership or creation, financial transactions, sales, assignments and transfer of rights.
The term of protection for copyright is 70 years after the death of the creator or the author. However, the term of protection varies depending on the type of work which is mentioned below:-
Broadcasts: 50 years after the broadcast is first transmitted.
Sound recordings: 50 years after the recording is made or first made available to the public.
Computer generated works: 70 years after the date of the work is first made available to the public.
Database rights: 15 years from the end of the calendar year for which the database was completed.
Typographical arrangements - 50 years after the date the work is first made available to the public.
After the expiration of copyright protection, the work is said to be “in the public domain". That is to say, the work is publicly available for use without the permission of the copyright owner.
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