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Are There Any Copyright Advantages?
You may wonder whether there are any copyright advantages that can be embraced and whether copyright in itself doesn’t hinder intellectual development. Although there are few copyright advantages when registration is considered, you should remember that a paper trail creates evidence that a piece of work belongs to you. This may become rather important in negotiating royalties, getting acknowledgement and as defence in an infringement case.
In South Africa only cinematograph films can get copyright registration. For all other works it is unnecessary as copyright is already assigned the moment the work is put into a tangible form. Copyright advantages can thus be enjoyed immediately without having to go through a lengthy registration process.
One of the benefits of holding copyright ownership is that you will have the sole right to distribution and reproduction of the work. Only you can give permission for reproduction, changes and distribution methods of the work. You also have the right to be associated with the work. Even ghost writers have the right to be associated with their work. Although they may get paid for the work and the work becomes owned by another person, the ghost writer can still use the work as sample when requested to do so unless otherwise stipulated in a written agreement with the person who commissioned the ghost writing.
By having copyright on a piece of work, you are in the driving seat. You can set a license agreement for usage, demand royalties, and get acknowledgement for your intellectual input. It is however, possible to assign your rights to another person for a period and to also keep the right to withdraw the assignment.
If you need help with the setting up of a license agreement, royalty contract or simply want to get the most copyright advantages through maximum protection, contact us at Smit & Van Wyk today.
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