New copyright protection service in SA

In a copyright dispute there are two aspects of a work that need to be proved, namely that the work was in fact created by the user and that the work is in fact original. Copyright Protect aims to offer proof of the existence of a specific file, script, design, literary, musical or literary work at a specific time and date. By including drafts, working files, revisions, concept drawings etc in your submission, you are adding strong evidence that the work is in fact original.

The registration service is allegedly automated, secure and affordable. Once a work is received, the servers will time-stamp the work and generate a certificate of receipt indicating a description of the copyright work, as well as the exact time and date that the work was received.

The time stamping technology used by the servers has a track record in South African courts of law, thus offering proof of the work's existence at the time of registration. Copyright Protect will generate a certificate of receipt which can be used by the users as a first line of defence and will retain a copy of the work on a secure server for a period of five years. In the event of litigation, file(s) can be retrieved off the servers, along with the original time stamp certificate, for use in court as evidence.

Works of copyright, as defined in the Copyright Act No. 98 of 1978, as amended, includes original literary, musical, dramatic, and artistic works.

For more information, go to www.copyrightprotect.co.za. Users of Bizcommunity.com can use the following discount code wd7ziJ8D to receive a 20% discount on all accounts purchased or registrations made before 30 June 2007.