The aim of this guide is to provide copyright awareness and education in MOOCs
It does not constitute legal advice.
For legal advice, please contact your legal counsel or the Office of Legal Affairs through your department.
Note! This guide is no longer being updated. Content will be refreshed and migrated to the Copyright Awareness guide by 31st December 2024. Thank you for your kind understanding. |
Rights of a Copyright Owner
Right of Copyright Owner |
Example for A Piece of Music |
---|---|
Make a copy of the work |
Copying an MP3 of recorded music "Syncing" background music into a video production |
Publish the work (i.e. distribute copies to the public) |
Making a video that contains background music Making that video with the music available for download from the university's website Uploading that promotional video to YouTube |
Perform the work in public |
Live performance of popular songs by a university acapella group Recorded music played over a sound system at university dining hall or on broadcast radio |
Communicate the work to the public |
Incorporating a music into a video and uploading that video on a public platform for all to view. |
Make an adaptation of the work |
Creating a remix of a popular song |
Authorize anyone else to do any of the above rights |
Only the owner of the piece of music has the rights to allow anyone do the above acts |
Source: Singapore Copyright Act. See also American Council on Education. (2013). Use of Copyrighted Music on College and University Campuses. American Council on Education. https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Music-Use-of-Copyright.pdf
There are 6 broad categories of copyrighted works:
More than one categories of copyrighted works may subsist in a single item.
Take for example this instrumental musical score for a play:
Figure 1. Score Book Cover |
![]() Figure 2. Inside Musical Score |
There are multiple copyright subsisting / associated with the above score:
Type of Copyrighted Work |
Example |
---|---|
Artistic Work |
Sheet cover i.e. Figure 1 above |
Musical Work |
Musical score (i.e. ♪ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬) i.e. Figure 2 above |
Literary Work |
Lyrics i.e. Figure 2 above |
Dramatic Work |
Script / Dramatic Instructions (not pictured) |
Sound Recording |
Recording of the performance of the orchestra + singing (not pictured) |
Film |
Recording of the performance of the play (not pictured) |
See also: Cantrell, S. (n.d.). Libguides: Copyright: for students. Retrieved 4 May 2021, from https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/copyright/for_students
What a Copyright DOES NOT Protect
Source: Law of Intellectual Property of Singapore, 2nd Edition, Ng-Loy Wee Loon
Utilitarian Based Arguments
Morality / Personality Based Arguments
Source: Law of Intellectual Property of Singapore, 2nd Edition, Ng-Loy Wee Loon
Copyright Protection in Singapore Arises Automatically
There is no need to register your copyright to obtain protection – as long as you have reduced your copyright in material form – it is as good as protected!
The "©" symbol is not required for copyright protection.
However, use of the symbol is recommended so that people can identify the owner of the copyright. If you use the © symbol on your works, it makes it more difficult for someone infringing your copyright to argue that they did not know you were the owner.
Duration of copyright is protection depends on the type of copyright work protected:
Best Practice | Duration of Protection |
Literary, dramatic, musical and engravings |
70 years from the end of the year in which the author died |
Artistic works (except photographs and engravings) |
70 years from the end of the year in which the author died |
Photographs |
70 years from the end of the year in which the author died |
Anonymous and pseudonymous authorial works and films |
|
Sound recordings |
|
These dates are important because when copyright protection expires, works pass into the public domain, and are free for use.
Source: Singapore Copyright Act 2021 , Intellectual Property Office of Singapore Copyright Factsheet
For a comprehensive overview of copyright relating to teaching, learning and research, please view our one-stop guide here.