Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

Registration Procedure of Copyrights in Pakistan

Who is authorized to claim copyright in Pakistan?
Copyright as a work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyrights.

In the case of a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment; the employer and not the employee is considered to be the author, if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire.

The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the copyrights in the work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary.

What works are copyrightable in Pakistan?
Copyrightable works include the following categories:

1. Literary works
2. Musical works, including any accompanying words
3. Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
4. Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
5. Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
6. Sound recordings
7. Architectural works

Is registration of copyrights in Pakistan a compulsory requirement for protection of copyrightable works?

Registration of a copyright is Pakistan is not a compulsory requirement for protection of such copyrightable works in Pakistan. Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is "created" when it is fixed in a copy or phono-record for the first time. There are, however, certain definite advantages to registration. Registration, however, establishes prima facie evidence in a Court of Law of the validity of the copyrights and of the facts stated in the certificate..