One of the most frequent queries intellectual property attorneys
receive is from clients who want to "copyright their
idea". However, you can't "copyright an idea".
Copyright protection only extends to the material expression of
your idea and not the idea, concept, procedure or method
itself.
Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection that is
available for creators of original works. Works that are eligible
for copyright protection are literary works; musical works;
artistic works; cinematograph films; sound recordings; broadcasts;
programme-carrying signals; published editions and computer
games.
To qualify for automatic copyright protection, the work must be
original, the author must be a qualified person (namely, in the
case of an individual, a South African citizen or a citizen of
Berne Convention country, or someone who is domiciled or resident
in South Africa or in a convention country; or in the case of a
juristic person, a body incorporated
