Copyrights mainly protect a creation within a literary, scientific, artistic, or other intellectual domain that is the author's wisdom and techniques. Therefore, a creation must be original but not necessary unprecedented. Works include oral and literary, musical, drama, choreographic, artistic, photographic, audiovisual, and architectural works, and computer programs. In general, economic rights endure a term consisting of the life of the author and fifty years after the author's death.
The purpose of copyright registration is to place on record a verifiable account of the date and content of the work in question, so that in the event of a legal claim, or case of infringement or plagiarism, the copyright proprietor can tender a copy of the work from an official government source.
For the purposes of this act, "works" shall include the following:
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Kinds of works |
Examples |
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Oral and literary works |
Such as poems, verses, prose, fictions, plays or scenarios, and lectures. |
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Musical works |
Such as scores and lyrics. |
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Dramatic and choreographic works |
Such as pantomimes, musicals, dances. |
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Artistic works |
Such as paintings, comic strips (cartoons), sculptures, craftworks. |
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Photographic works |
Such as photographs and slides. |
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Pictorial and graphical works |
Such as maps, charts, scientific or engineering design drawings. |
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Audiovisual works |
Such as motion pictures, videocassettes, videodisks. |
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Sound recordings |
Shall include any work which contains a series of sound being fixed to any medium and to be presented by a mechanical device or equipment, except the sound which is concomitant with an audio-visual work. |
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Architectural work |
Such as architectural design drawings, architectural models, buildings or constructions. |
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Computer programs |
Shall include any work composed of a set of instructions which is purposed to directly or indirectly cause a computer to bring forth a certain result. |
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Derivative works |
A creation adapted from one or more pre-existing works and protection of a derivative work shall not affect the copyright in the pre-existing work. |
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Compilation work |
A work formed by the creative selection and arrangement of materials, and shall be protected as an independent work. |
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Performances |
A performance by a performer of a pre-existing work or folklore shall be protected as an independent work. |
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