Next, we will address four aspects of copyright protection in the international context. Those aspects include:
  • Copyright subject matter
  • The rights provided under copyright law
  • The limitations on copyright protection
  • Remedies that a party can obtain through enforcement
Most countries that provide copyright protection, provide protection to seven categories. They include:
  • Literary works
  • Musical works
  • Artistic works
  • Maps and technical drawings
  • Photographic works
  • Motion pictures
  • Computer programs
Literary worksinclude novels, short stories, poems, dramatic works, fiction and non-fiction.

Musical worksinclude songs, choruses, operas, musicals, etc.

Artistic worksinclude both two-dimensional drawings or paintings and three-dimensional sculptures or architectural work.

Motion picturesinclude both silent or with a sound track. Motion pictures usually include different media such as film, videotape or digital media.

Many copyright laws protect works of applied art such as artistic jewelry, lamps, wallpaper, furniture, etc.

Most countries also provide seven basic rights under copyright law. These rights include the right to reproduce the work or to allow others to do so. These rights also include the right to perform the work.

These rights usually include the right to make recordings or motion pictures. They also include the right to broadcast the work by means of wires and cable.

Copyright holders are also generally allowed the right to translate and adapt the work. Other moral rights are also allowed such as the right to claim authorship or the right to object to distortion or mutilation of the work.