Copyright.

More than just art, music and literature.

Modern copyright protection is considerably more extensive than it was originally intended. The most common subjects you think of being copyright protected are books, photographic images, music and art. But even shorter texts, databases and computer software, and not least industrial design and so-called utility design also fall under copyright law.

In principle, everything that is created by a human being can be protected by copyright law. Examples of what Swedish courts have protected by copyright are a jacket, a torch, a fly fishing reel, a baby spoon and a wood-burning stove. The list can be very long. Copyright protection is aimed at the specific design of a creation, e.g., the appearance of a product. The ideas and functions behind it cannot be copyright protected. Instead, supplementary protection, a patent for example, is required.

Copyright is not registered but arises automatically at the time of the creation of the work itself. This protection applies throughout the life of the creator and thereafter for another 70 years.

We have many years of experience in assessing whether a product or other subject matter fulfils the requirement of originality in order to be copyright protected. Our lawyers also have extensive experience of assessing if competing products are infringing on others’ copyright protection. Of course, we handle the necessary measures in order to prevent such an infringement.