What works are covered by copyright?

  • Literary works include things like novels, poems, short stories, periodicals, essays, dictionaries, manuscripts, periodicals, and articles. It also includes software, such as smartphone apps, video games, and software.
  • Musical Works consisting of musical notes and lyrics in a musical composition
  • Audio/visual Works such as films, online videos, television shows, video games, etc.
  • Sound Recordings such asmusic on CDs, podcasts, and recorded speeches.
  • Artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture; and
  • Architectural works including architectural plans, buildings, and any associated drawings; and
  • Dramatic works which include plays, operas, etc.

Copyright subsists in a work by virtue of creation; hence it is not mandatory to register. However, registering a copyright provides evidence that copyright subsists in the work and the creator is the owner of the work.