Copyright

Definition:

“The Copyright is a set of restricted rights that is being granted by the ‘law of a jurisdiction’ to the author or creator of an original work, which includes the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work.”

The Copyright does not shelter the ideas, only their expression or fixation. In the majority of jurisdictions, copyright arises upon fixation and there is no necessity for that to be registered. Copyright protection is applicable only for a specific period of time, after which the work is said to go into the public domain.

First copyright:

The opening copyright statute was that of the ‘British Statute of Anne of 1709’, the complete title of which was: "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by vesting the Copies of Printed Books in the Authors or purchasers of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned".

Copyright laws:

• Copyright laws are to some extent consistent through the regional and international agreements such as the European copyright directives and Berne Convention.
• In the year 1886 the Berne Convention was initially established and was consequently re-negotiated in some of the countries like 1908 (Berlin), 1896 (Paris), 1948 (Brussels), 1967 (Stockholm) and 1928 (Rome). It includes the principle of national treatment and has a number of core features.
• Even though there are consistencies in the midst of nations' copyright laws, each authority has a break up and different laws and regulations covering the copyright.
• On a territorial basis the copyrighted works are being given license, and there is a variation in the copyright laws between the countries. A few of the jurisdictions are also familiar on the terms with the ethical rights of creators, such as the right to be certified for that work.

Copyright is applicable to:

In the beginning copyright was being given only to published books, but as time passed by the copyright was unlimited to other uses, such as derivative works and translations.

Copyright at present covers a wide range of works that includes computer programs, dramatic works, maps, sound recordings, photographs, paintings, and motion pictures etc.

Questions:

• What are the other features in the Berne Convention?
• What is the procedure for getting copyright?