Holiday Homework 1 (T3Wk7): Copyright

What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of Protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works under the Copyright Act (Cap. 63) (the “Act”) in Singapore.“Copyright” is defined as the exclusive legal “right” of the copyright owner to reproduce (“copy”), publish, and sell the matter (whether literary, musical, or artistic work) as covered under the Act.This intangible intellectual property right can exist as literature, art, music, sound recordings, film and broadcasts. Copyright is automatic. The author, performer and maker of the work can claim copyright. Copyright protection exists so long as a protected work is original.

Copyright protection enables the copyright owners to profit from the use or reproduction of their works by preventing others from doing the same. It is unlawful for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the Act to the owner of copyright. Anyone who, does not have the copyright owner’s consent, and proceeds to do one of the things that the copyright owner is exclusively entitled to do (e.g. makes copies of the copyright owner’s book) is infringing the copyright owner's rights.A common form of copyright infringement takes place when a student photocopies an entire book or substantial portions of a book. That student would infringe copyright. It would also be an infringement to instruct or request someone else, for example, the owner of a photocopy shop to make a copy/copies of copyright material.It is also a violation of copyright if anyone sells, lets for hire or imports for the purpose of trade, any infringing articles, which he knows or ought reasonably to know was made in infringement of the copyright. A person who is found to have more than 5 or more infringing copies of any work is presumed to be in possession for the purpose of sale.

If someone copies something which has the Copyright symbol will be prosecuted by the police because it is illegal.