What is A Copyright?

Copyright in Malaysia is regulated by the Copyright Act 1987. Copyright protection is automatic upon the creation of an original work and does not require registration. It covers literary, musical, artistic, and dramatic works, as well as films, sound recordings, and broadcasts.

Copyright grants the owner exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license the work. The duration of copyright protection varies: for literary, musical, or artistic works, it lasts for the life of the author plus 50 years; for sound recordings and films, it lasts for 50 years from the year of publication.