Proprietorship Business Registration in Pakistan
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“Copyright meaning”, “What is copyright?”, “How to secure my copyright”, “Copyright infringement”, and “copyright logo” or “copyright sign”, etc, we hear such queries on daily basis, so we thought to define these terms in easy language. Here you would find the answers of several questions regarding copyright and copyright law.
A copyright is a legal right an author or creator has to control the use of their original work. Just as you have a right to control how information about your physical self is used, copyright law provides you with the same rights in relation to an original work you create. The term originated in English common law as a way of protecting authors’ rights in their original works. It was later incorporated into Pakistan federal law with the Copyright Act, which established that authors retain exclusive rights over their creations for 14 years, with the ability to renew for another 14 years after that time period ends. Copyright is now established as one of the core pillars of intellectual property law in Pakistan and protects everything from music and movies to paintings and written texts, covering both published and unpublished works.
Works of authorship include the following categories:
o Literary works
o Musical works, including any accompanying words
o Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
o Pantomimes and choreographic works
o Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
o Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
o Sound recordings
o Architectural works
Copyright is a form of protection granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expressions, such as literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architectural work. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
In general, copyright law does not protect facts or ideas. For example, copyright protection is not available for the idea of a “rainbow,” but an artist’s unique painting of a rainbow is protected by copyright. Similarly, there are no special protections available for the concept of love, but a particular song about love may be protected by copyright.
There are also some categories of works that cannot be copyrighted at all. These include:
Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.
In general, registration of copyright is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment a work is created, and so no formalities are needed to secure copyright protection. However, if you would like to bring an infringement action against someone who has violated your copyright, you must first register it with our office or if registration has already been made, public disclosure through registration will be sufficient notice to prevent a defendant from successfully claiming “innocent infringement” in court
The copyright owner is generally the author or creator of the work. In the case of works made for hire, the employer or commissioning party is considered to be the author. Under certain circumstances, joint ownership may exist. For example, a work prepared by two authors with the intent that their contributions be merged into inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole would be considered a work of joint authorship. A joint owner has an independent right to use or license any part of the copyrighted work and does not need permission from other co-owners unless there is an agreement otherwise.
In Pakistan, a copyright is a form of legal protection that’s automatically granted to any original work. This means that once you create something, such as an image or article, it’s immediately protected by copyright law. However, if you want to enforce your copyright (e.g., take someone to court for violating it), you must register it with the Pakistan Copyright Office, IPO.
In general, registration isn’t required before an infringement lawsuit can be filed in court, but there are some important exceptions: The exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution are not available unless the owner has first registered the work at issue with the Pakistan Copyright Office or has applied for registration and is currently awaiting approval from the Copyright authority’s office. If someone infringes upon your copyrighted material without permission from its creator, then this person may face serious penalties including up to five years imprisonment under current copyright laws.
Copyright Sign
You can use the copyright symbol, the word “copyright”, or the abbreviation, e.g., © 2019 Taxocrate, Copyright 2019 Taxocrate, or Copr. 2019 Taxocrate. The copyright symbol is a letter “c” in a circle: ©.
Copyright logo
The copyright logo is the symbol ©, the word “copyright” or abbreviation “Copr.” This language indicates that a particular work is protected by copyright law and informs others about who owns the rights to this work. The owner of those rights has the power and control over what happens with their creative works, including how it can be used, copied, or shared.
The copyright owner can decide whether they want to use their copyrights for personal, private use only or if they want to share them with others (i.e., publish them) for free or for a fee.
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