Which works does copyright cover?
Copyright covers an original literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic work, a cinematograph film, and a sound recording. That is section 13 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The right arises when the work is made. Filing for registration does not create it.
No. Copyright exists when the original work is made. Registration is evidence.
Which works?
| Work | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Literary | Books, software, and other original writing. A computer program is a literary work |
| Dramatic | A play or a work of choreography recorded in writing |
| Musical | The music, apart from the words and apart from a recording of a performance |
| Artistic | A painting, a drawing, a photograph, or a work of architecture |
| Film and sound | A cinematograph film, and a sound recording, each as its own work |
When does the right arise?
The author has the copyright when the original work is created. Registration with the Copyright Office is optional evidence of that claim. Whether the right exists before registration is on the copyright page. This page does not quote a fee.
What is a different right?
A trademark protects a brand used on goods or services. That filing is on the trademark page. A patent protects an invention. Neither is a class of copyright. An idea that has not been expressed in a work is not copyright either.
Frequently asked questions
Four questions cover registration, a computer program, a brand name, and a later version.
Must the work be registered before it is protected?
No. Copyright exists when the original work is made. Registration is evidence. It is not the event that creates the right.
Is a computer program a literary work?
Yes. A computer program is protected as a literary work. It is not a separate class of its own.
Does copyright protect a brand name?
No. A brand name is a trademark question. Copyright protects the work, not the trading name.
Does one registration cover every later version?
A later version is protected if it is itself an original work. Registration of an earlier version does not automatically list every change.
Sources
The works in which copyright subsists are section 13 of the Copyright Act, 1957. Whether registration is required is a separate guide.