How to Register Copyright?

September 19, 2011
Copyright News and Interesting Facts

Copyright is different from other forms of intellectual property because
COPYRIGHT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REGISTERED in South Africa.

In South Africa (and the UK), once the work is created in a material form the creator / author / writer / photographer is instantly protected by copyright and may use the copyright © symbol.

Copyright in the U.S

Copyright registrations in the U.S can be filed through the United States Copyright Office by a copyright attorney. The estimated costs of registering copyright in one work in the USA is R2800, including all official fees and professional fees. Please contact us should you wish to register your copyright in the USA.

Protecting your Copyright:

No official form of copyright registration is necessary in South Africa and the UK because all works are protected by copyright from the time it is created in a material form.

The best way to protect your copyright is to ensure that you have evidence of your rights in the event that your copyright is infringed. We therefore suggest the following:

Mark your work with your name, titles, dates & times.
Store electronic copies in a safe place.
Keep the original works hidden in a safe place.
Store printed copies of your work in a safe place.
Keep record of any agreements / e-mails / invoices pertaining to the work.
Use the copyright © symbol when presenting your work.

What does it mean to have copyright?

Copyright is the exclusive right to control the use of a work in all the manners in which it can be exploited for personal gain or profit. This includes the exclusive right to do any of the following with the work:

Copy
Publish
Perform in public
Broadcast (eg. on radio/TV)
Adapt
Translate
Let or offer for hire

Copyright Duration?

The duration of copyright in a work depends on the specific type of work. In the case of literary, musical or artistic works, copyright endures for 50 years after the death of the author, except where the work was not made public before the death of the author in which case copyright endures 50 years after it was made public.

Copyright & Licensing Agreements

Owners of copyright have the right to compensation or royalties when anyone exploits the work as above.

Copyright & Licensing Agreements
Contact our copyright attorneys at Smit & Van Wyk, Inc. regarding your copyright and licensing agreements at enquiries@svw.co.za, or complete the form below.
This is not an official booking, just a contact request.

Feel free to contact us should you have any questions or require assistance with copyright licensing and infringement matters.

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

Image source: www.freedigitalphotos.net