Copyright Registration
What is copyright?
- Moral rights: These are the rights intrinsic to the creation of the work. These rights guarantee respect for the author’s name, authenticity, freedom of dissemination, and the creator’s right to withdraw the work from the market.
Moral rights are inalienable and non-waivable, and the author may demand recognition as the author at any time. He may also decide on the possible disclosure of the work, its modification, etc.
- Property rights: These are the rights that protect the author’s economic interests during the period of legal protection. They are designed to give the author the right to freely distribute the work and to obtain an economic benefit from it.
What can I record as work?
There is no exhaustive list of works protected by copyright. However, the works commonly protected by these rights are:
- Literary and dramatic works: novels, short stories, poetry, essays, plays, film scripts, musical and opera librettos, etc.
- Scientific works: monographs, manuals, magazine articles, research papers, popular science works, doctoral theses, etc.
- Musical compositions: with or without lyrics, songs, symphonies, musical theater, soundtracks, etc.
- Computer programs: software, computer programs, apps, etc.
- Cinematic and audiovisual works: films, documentaries, series, cartoons, etc.
- Artistic works: Paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, posters, sculptures, comics, etc.
- Technical and cartographic works: Technical drawings, diagrams, engineering projects, maps, plans, and topographical graphics.
- Architectural works: Projects, plans, drawings, architectural designs, urban planning projects, models, etc.
- Databases: Collections of works, data, or other elements.
- Web pages and multimedia: Text, images, graphic effects, sound effects, or audiovisual material hosted on a website.
- Choreographies, pantomimes: Choreographies of different styles of dance, pantomime, or mime.
Only expressions may be registered as works, never ideas, procedures or methods.
How long does copyright last?
The exploitation rights over a work, as a general term, are for the lifetime of the author and 70 years after his or her death.
In the case of moral rights, their duration is the life of the author. Once the author dies, the moral rights over the work expire. There is an exception to this rule: in the case of the right of access to a rare or unique copy of the work, the moral right is considered valid 70 years after the author’s death.
Copyright
Copyright is the right reserved by an author to protect the exploitation of a work for a limited number of years. A copyrighted work can be recognized by the © symbol.
It is important to register a work for several reasons:
- To ensure credit for the author’s work.
- To ensure the author is the beneficiary of the work’s commercial operations.
- To prevent theft of the authorship of the work.
- The author may decide who to grant access to for the use of their work.
In conclusion, copyright is the ideal way to legally make it clear from the outset that the copyright belongs to the creator.
What is the difference between copyright and author's rights?
Although they are two concepts that are closely linked, copyright and author’s rights are not the same:
Copyright protects the author as an individual while copyright protects the work.
El copyright requiere un registro oficial, mientras que los derechos de autor se adquieren por el solo hacho de hacer creado una obra.
Copyright only applies in common law countries and its legal value is only valid in these countries.
Complementary services to theCopyright Registration
At BGA IP we offer complementary solutions toCopyright Registrationso you don't have to worry about anything:
Comprehensive audit of your case portfolio
Maintenance, control and surveillance pack
Legal assistance
Why choose BGA IP for copyright and author rights?
At BGA IP, we provide advice on copyright and author’s rights. Our service is characterized by its immediate response and efficiency in all legal processes.
BGA IP is an official agent with extensive professional experience. We will act on your behalf before the corresponding national and international offices so that you can focus on your project and its growth without third-party interference.
Before patent registration, we will conduct a preliminary study (free of charge) to help you assess the viability of your future patent registration. Furthermore, after registration, we are responsible for monitoring and ensuring its security.
At BGA IP, we are absolutely traditional in our treatment and advice to our clients and collaborators. However, we are innovative in patent registration in Barcelona. We believe that the trust placed in us by our clients and collaborators must have an immediate professional return, without any undue delay. We answer all inquiries in less than 72 hours and offer solutions to our clients and collaborators, without any obligation or cost.
