Copyright

Copyrights are, contrarily to all other rights of intellectual property, not limited to trade. If you take a photograph of a painting, which still has copyrights, you will be infringing the artists rights.

An other difference with the other rights is that copyrights are not completely assignable. The maker will always remain certain rights. If you own a work of art, but you do not like it anymore, you will have to consult the artist regarding your decision.

Copyrights originate automatically, as soon as a work is published. A registration is not required to remain the rights. However, as the owner of a copyright has to proof that he owns the copyright, it is wise to be able to proof that you are the maker indeed. Otherwise the infringer could get away from your claim.

As copyrights originate with the existence of the work, and are only partly assignable, it is sensible to have them originate the proper way - that is in the right name. We can assist you in arranging matters so that they originate properly.

Copyrights exist for a period of 70 years, counting from the year after the year in which the maker died. If the maker is not a living person, the term of 70 years starts in the year after the first publication

Please click here for a survey of our services relating to copyrights.