Copyright+-+what+does+copyright+protect?

what does copyright protect?

  The Copyright Act protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic pieces. In order for copyright to assist in a work it must be made by a resident or citizen of Australia, or made or first published in Australia, or has a specified connection with a country which is a member of a relevant international copyright treaty.   Most materials that are reduced to writing or some other material form by a creator and which are not trivial in content are literary or dramatic works. Such works may be in electronic or hard copy form. Such works include letters, e-mails, articles, novels, poetry, song lyrics, timetables, databases and computer programs. No level of literary merit is required for copyright to subsist in a work. However, single words, slogans or titles are not usually protected as literary works.   Artistic works include paintings, photographs, sculptures, engravings, sketches, blueprints, drawings, plans, maps and buildings or models of buildings, irrespective of the artistic quality of the work. They may exist in electronic or hardcopy form. There is also a category called 'work of artistic craftsmanship' that must satisfy the added criteria of aesthetic appeal and be the result of the work of a skilled craftsperson in order for it to be protected by copyright. Items such as hand-woven tapestry, handmade jewellery or crafted furniture may fit into this category.   Works are only protected by copyright law if they are 'original' works. A copyright work will be considered original if it is the product of the creator's own intellectual effort and has not been copied from another person's work. However an original work could be a compilation of other works, eg in an original anthology or selection, where the permission of the copyright owners of those individual works compiled would be needed.   The Copyright Act also protects sound recordings, films (which include pre-recorded television programs and videos), radio and television broadcasts and published editions of works. These categories of copyright material are often referred to as ‘matter other than works'.
 * Works**
 * Literary works**
 * Artistic works**
 * Works must be 'original'**
 * Copyright in matter other than works**

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