Copyright Protection In Singapore - Protectable Matter

Generally, the following matters are protectable under the law of copyright:

(1)Literary works: The Copyrignt Act further states that the definition of a literary work includes a computer program or a compilation of computer programs.

(2)Dramatic works.

(3)Artistic works.

(4)Musical works.

The above-mentioned works are generally referred to as authors' works. To be copyrightable, the said authors' works have to be:

(a)Original: Briefly, the requirement of originality is satisfied if a work is a new expression and is not copied. A work is original if there is some degree of intellectual skill, effort and judgment involved and it is not a slavish copy of another work. Originality is not to be construed as requiring novelty of thought.