About IP
Copyright protection for works (literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works) generally lasts for up to 70 years after the death of the author.
Copyright
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of legal protection granted under the Copyright Act 1968 to the authors or first owners of original literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works, films, sound recordings, published editions and broadcasts. In Australia and the majority of other countries, copyright protection is automatic upon creation of the work.
There is no registration procedure, and the existence of copyright does not depend on the novelty or artistic or literary merit of the work. In the United States, copyright registration is optional, but enforcement is easier if the work is registered.
Copyright protection for works (literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works) generally lasts for up to 70 years after the death of the author. Different rules apply to subject matter other than works (films, sound recordings, published editions and broadcasts) including different terms of copyright. These will not be discussed further here. If your query relates to one of these types of copyright, please contact us.
Protecting ideas
Copyright law protects only the form of the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. The creativity protected by copyright law is in the choice and arrangement of words, musical notes, colours or shapes. Copyright protection gives the author exclusive rights to the way their work is reproduced, communicated to the public (e.g. on-line), published, adapted or performed.
