Copyright gives rise to an exclusive right to exploit the copyrighted work. Works that may be eligible for copyright protection include:
- Literary works;
- Musical works;
- Artistic works;
- Cinematographic films;
- Sound recordings;
- Broadcasts;
- Programme-carrying signals;
- Published editions; and
- Computer programs.
Other than for cinematograph films, there is no formal registration process of copyright in South Africa, and, subject to certain conditions, copyright is deemed to exist from the date of creation of the work. The requirements for a copyright to exist are that (a) the work must fall within one of the categories listed above, (b) the work must be original (therefore not essentially derived from the work of another) and (c) the work must be reduced to a material form.
The lifespan of a copyright is fifty years after the end of the year in which the author dies, or fifty years from the end of the year in which the work is published or made available to the public depending on the type of work.