Intellectual property, copyright or author’s rights, which covers literary works such as novels, poems, plays, newspapers and computer programs; databases; films; musical works and choreographies; works of art such as paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture; architectural works; advertising, maps and technical drawings.

Copyright describes the rights given to creators for their literary and artistic works. Creators have the exclusive right to use or authorize third parties to use their work in accordance with commonly agreed terms. The creator of a work either may prohibit or authorize:

• Its reproduction in different forms, such as print publication or sound recording
• Its execution or public performance, as in the case of a theater play or musical work;
• Its recording, for example in the form of compact discs, cassettes, …
• Its radio, cable or satellite broadcasting
• Its translation into other languages or its adaptation.

Without prejudice to the author’s rights over the original work, translations and adaptations; revisions, updates and annotations; summaries and extracts; musical arrangements; any transformation of a literary, artistic or scientific work are also subject to Intellectual Property.

The rights of exploitation of a work will last throughout the author’s life and 70 years after its death or declaration of death. The exploitation rights of artistic, scientific or literary, anonymous or pseudonymous works will last 70 years after their lawful disclosure. The rights of exploitation of the works that have not been legally disclosed, will also last 70 years from the creation of the same, when the term of protection is not computed from the death or declaration of death of the author or authors.