Literary Work Copyright; Benefits, Procedure and Best Practices

What kinds of works are deemed literary?

In layman's terms, a copyright is the "freedom to copy." Original writers are granted copyright to safeguard works such as literary, dramatic, artistic, cinematographic film, and musical works.

The term "literary" work clearly indicates that it refers to works of literature, yet it is not limited to them. It encompasses all works that can be expressed in words, numbers, or numerical symbols, regardless of whether or not they have literary worth. It makes no difference if they are expressed in the form of books, movies, videotapes, software, or manuscripts in which medium they are expressed.

For instance, computer software or computer databases are considered literary works since they present a programmer's ideas in software that can be protected under the Copyright law.

As a result, LegaMart's article on Literary Work Copyright explains the works that are deemed literary works.

Literary merit

It was claimed in the case University of London Press Ltd v University Tutorial Press Ltd that correctly defining the phrase "literary merit" is challenging. For example, When reading a novel, the first thing that comes to mind is the quality, writing style, and presentation of the author.

It is not, however, required to have literary quality in order to be regarded as eligible for copyright protection. Many works can be classified as literary works, including travel guides and collections containing original quotations. Other examples include a book consisting of a list of registered bills of sale, catalogs, letters, brochures, and other materials that do not have literary value but have gained copyright protection, such as a book consisting of a list of registered bills of sale, catalogs, letters, and brochures. In short, we may claim that literary work can be copyrighted regardless of its quality or style.

Copyright in different types of literary works

Here’s a list of copyright in different  literary works: 

Copyright in a book

Computer Program

Computer databases

 Headnotes and Short notes

Adaptation of literary work

What cannot be copyrighted in literary work?

Literary title: The word "literary title" refers to the titles of books, newspapers, television shows, music, and other media. The US Copyright law has stated that a literary work's title alone cannot be considered a copyrighted work.

Blank forms: It is not eligible for copyright protection because it does not meet the originality standards.

Certificates: Since certificates fall into a category that lacks creativity or originality as defined by the Copyright law, they are not considered copyright subject matter.

Key elements of Copyright registration

1. For copyright registration, several requirements must be met, such as the work is unique, creative, and able to be fixed in a tangible medium.

1. The copyright law allows the original author or an authorized person to reproduce or reuse his work.

1. The copyright holder's privileges include the ability to issue copies of his work, the ability to reproduce his work or control the reproduction of his work by others, and so on.

1. Only creative professionals such as cinematographers, artists, musicians, authors, and writers are eligible for copyright protection and can register their work under the Copyright Act.

1. The original works must have a palpable shape, which implies they must have a physical form that can be felt or touched, or they must have a concrete form.

How to proceed with copyright registration?

This process in the UK and India is explained in the above-mentioned article. 

You can also contact LegaMart lawyers for legal advice and assistance with any legal problems.

To Sum Up

copyright rules provide various clauses that demonstrate how an original creator can gain and receive just compensation for his efforts. The same is true of literary works, where some are copyrightable while others do not. It explains which works you can claim for copyright protection and which ones you can't. Only apply for copyright registration if you recognize your literary work comes inside the copyrightable content.