Copyrights

Copyrights

Defined as the property right of an original work owned by an individual, a copyright is fixed in a physical medium of expression, thus enabling the holder to exclusively reproduce, distribute, perform, and display the copyrighted work. The said work may include anything under literature, music, art, photography, cinema/film or even a computer programme, etc. Unlike a trademark, copyright just has a single symbol i.e. ©. The symbol can be placed on the original piece of work that has been created.

Benefits

1. Public notice of your ownership. Your work will be published in the Copyright Office's Catalog and will be searchable to the public. Anybody thinking of using this work will be able to search this Catalog and see that your work is protected. This gives constructive notice to the public that you own the work and helps defeat claims of "innocent infringement."

2. Legal evidence of ownership.
If somebody takes your work, registration will avoid a costly dispute over the actual ownership. Your copyright registration will provide proof of your ownership and relieve you of this legal burden.

3. Validity.
Your registration will demonstrate the validity of your copyright if it is registered within five years of publication. This can prevent future challenges to your rights in the work.