Copyright

Copyright

 

  1. What is the relevant legislation?

The Copyright Act 1999, Chapter 323 of the Statute Laws of the Bahamas (“the Act”) as amended by The Copyright (Amendment) Act 2015 (“the Amendment Act”) and the related Copyright Regulations are the relevant legislations for copyright provisions in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

  1. What types of works are copyrightable?

The Copyright Act 1999 protects literary, musical, dramatic, artistic, choreographic, architectural works, motion pictures and other audio visual and sound recordings.

  1. What types of rights are covered by copyright?

Copyright protection under the Act provides the exclusive owner the right to produce, reproduce, distribute by public sale or otherwise, transmit, transfer ownership, license, publicly perform, broadcast or prepare a derivative work of the copywritten work.

 

  1. What may not be protected by copyright?

Any idea or creation which is not fixed in space or time will not be eligible for copyright protection under the requirements of the Act.

 

  1. Is there a requirement of copyright notice?

Although a copyright notice is not required where the copyright owner publishes a protected work in The Bahamas or elsewhere, it is a requirement that if such copyright notice appears, it should consist of the Copyright symbol or an abbreviation thereof, the first year of publication of the work and the name or the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be generally recognized. The notice of copyright should be affixed on the work so that it is visually perceptible on all copies.

 

  1. Is copyright registration mandatory?

For the owner of the copyright or of any the exclusive right in the work to claim the copyright protection and the benefits of several related rights, the owners’ exclusive right should be registered.

 

  1. How do you apply for a copyright registration?

Consult with an OuttenIP attorney to customize your copyright application for registration. That attorney will expertly draft your application for your copyright registration.

 

  1. What are the fees to apply for a copyright registration?

The fees government fees associated with applying for copyright registration range from BSD $30.00 filing fees to BSD $50.00 on a per item basis. Legal fees for same, associated with the copyright registration, will be calculated basis on upon consultation and the scope of the work to be performed.

  • Who is the owner of a copyrighted work?
    The author of a protected work is the first owner of the any copyright in that work.