Copyright Protection

September 28, 2009
Intellectual Property News and Interesting Facts

Copyright protect several different types of work, such as:

Literary works (lectures, speeches, reports, poems, novels, biographies)
Musical works, artistic works (painting, photographs, drawings and sculptures)
Films
Sound recordings
Published editions
Computer programs

Copyright begins as soon as the work is created and turned into a tangible form.

That can mean the setting of music to paper or the saving of data into files.

The prerequisite is that the information must be put in a tangible format and that a date and ownership be attached.

Although not required in South Africa, in America copyrights need to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office as a requirement in order to sue for monetary damages should a violation of the copyright arise.

Contact Details for Smit & Van Wyk:

Tel:
+27 (0) 12 349 7800

Fax:
+27 (0) 86 619 0493

E-mail:
enquiries@svw.co.za

Physical Address / Courier
Block A Apex Corporate Park
Quintin Brand Street
Persequor Technopark
Meiring Naudé Avenue
Pretoria
0184
South Africa