Copyright ?

The Definition of Copyright

Copyright legislates the fair use and reproduction of original creations. Anything printed, written or recorded will be subject to copyright law from the moment it is created. Copyright law exists to give legal protection to creators and publishers of works which include: books, films, sound recordings, newspaper and journal articles, dramatic works, photographs, and computer programmes, amongst others.

Copyright will ensure that the creator of an original work will retain their right to control their own work and how it is used by others, what proportion of a piece of work can be reproduced and how that copy is then used. Amongst the rights that are protected by the Copyright Act are the Moral Rights of the creator which includes the Paternity Right and the Integrity Right.

The author of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works and film directors have a moral right to be identified as the creator of the work in certain circumstances e.g. when copies are issued to the public. This act is known as the Paternity Right. Moral rights are also concerned with protecting the personality and reputation of the creator of an original work, this includes the moral right not to have a work falsely attributed to them or to have their own work subject to any derogatory treatment. Derogatory treatment is  any alteration of a work by deleting from, adding to, distorting or adapting a work without due acknowledgement.

One of the most important functions of copyright law is to act as a safeguard to originality. Without it there would be little encouragement for people to create anything as others would be able to take their work and use it as they wished and any financial incentive would be removed. In conclusion copyright law protects the development of writing, performing and creating whilst enabling access to original works/copyright material.