What is a Copyright?

Copyright protects the creations of the mind. It not only covers masterpieces of writers, sculptors or painters, but creations and performances of all kind. However, ideas, thoughts, principles, methods, theories or concepts are not covered by copyright protection, unless they are originally represented in a concrete appearance (e.g. a novel, a software, an architectural work, a music recording, etc.). Only their appearance will be protected.

Copyright is a non-registered right, in that there is no administrative procedure required to become the owner of this right, which comes into existence at the materialization of the work (which fulfils the conditions of protection). However, in some countries registration of the creation is necessary in order to fully benefit from the protection and in other countries registrations might only be used to prove when the creation was made.