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ARTICLE · 16 DECEMBER 2016

Copyright of JRR Tolkien held to be ‘Precious'

Pointon Partners
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The estate of famous author J. R. R. Tolkien was awarded a smorgasbord of remedies for infringement of its copyright.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
David Mazzeo
David Mazzeo
Lachlan Chisholm (Formerly With Pointon Partners)
Lachlan Chisholm (Formerly With Pointon Partners)
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Copyright owners will welcome the recent decision of the Federal Court in Tolkien Estate Limited v Saltalamacchia [2016] FCA 944, where the estate of famous author J. R. R. Tolkien was awarded a smorgasbord of remedies for infringement of its copyright.

Copyright generally

Copyright is a statutory right under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) ('the Act') that protects certain forms of creative output, including the expression of ideas or information. Unlike patents or trade marks, copyright arises automatically; there is no requirement for any formal registration.

The bundle of rights that you receive under the Act depends on the type of copyright material that you own, whether that be art, literature, music, film, broadcasts, computer programs and the like.

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