By Copyright is the intellectual property right to original works. Usually, if you create something that can be copyrighting, you get it at the time of creation. To qualify for this right, the work must include some creative process.
Various original works are protected by copyright, including books, television shows, songs, photographs, paintings, and more. Generally, names, titles, slogans, or short phrases are not considered original enough to qualify for copyright. However, they may be protected by other intellectual property rights such as trademarks. Copyright also generally does not apply to mere facts or ideas, but may apply to individual words or images that convey them. For copyright protection, you need to call a lawyer or law firm, because they know everything about social services law.
What is covered by copyright?
Legislative acts usually do not provide complete lists of works covered by copyright. However, in all countries copyrighted works generally include the following:
- literary works such as novels, poems, plays, reference books, and newspaper articles;
- computer programs; Database;
- films, musical works, and choreographic performances;
- artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures;
- architectural structures;
- advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.
Copyright protection extends only to the form of expression, and not to ideas, processes, methods of operation, or mathematical concepts as such. Copyright may or may not apply to a range of objects, such as names, slogans, or logos, depending on whether they contain a sufficient degree of copyright creativity.
What rights does copyright give me? What are my rights as the author of a work?
There are two types of rights under copyright:
- property rights that allow the right holder to receive financial rewards as a result of the use of his works by others; and
- non-property rights that protect the non-economic interests of authors.
Most copyright laws state that the right holder has the economic right to allow or not allow certain uses of the work, and to receive remuneration for the use of the results of his work (for example, through collective management). The holder of economic rights to work may prohibit or permit:
- its reproduction in various forms such as print or sound recording;
- its public performance, for example in the form of a play or piece of music;
- it’s recording, for example in the form of compact discs or digital video discs;
- its transmission by air, radio, cable, or satellite;
- its translation into other languages; and
- reworking it, such as rewriting a novel into a movie script.
Examples of generally recognized non-property rights are the right to claim authorship of a work and the right to object to modifications to a work that could harm the author’s reputation.
What does “licensing” of works mean and how is it carried out?
If you own the rights to a work, you may grant permission to use or commercialize it. Such authorization is commonly referred to as a “license” and may be issued on a royalty-free or royalty-free basis. Of course, when concluding any license agreement, it is recommended to seek professional legal assistance.
