JEDDAH: Artists in the Kingdom have been urged to ensure that the copyright on their work is protected as part of a Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) “Own Your Art” campaign.
SAIP said that a copyright protects a wide range of creative works, including drawings, paintings and artworks, such as comics, sketches and digital art.
Copyright is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their artistic works. The copyright of a specific artwork (such as a drawing or painting) is owned by the person who created the artwork.
This means that artists retain all the rights to their creative works, which cannot be reproduced, shared, published or profited from without their consent.
All art is copyrighted from the moment it is produced or becomes a fixed copy. There are two types of rights under copyright for creative works: Economic rights, which allow the rights owner to derive financial reward from the use of his artworks by others; and moral rights, which protect the noneconomic interests of the creator of the artwork.
Copyright laws state that the owner has the economic right to authorize or prevent certain uses in relation to a work or, in some cases, to receive remuneration for the use of his work.
The economic rights owner of a work can prohibit or authorize its reproduction in various forms (such as printed publication), its digital recording or broadcasting, or its adaptation.
SAIP said that enforcement procedures offer effective action and remedies against infringement or violation of copyrighted work. The Committee for Copyright Infringements may impose a financial penalty of not more than SR100,000 ($26,600), close the infringing entity for a period not exceeding two months, and address the case in the manner that the committee deems appropriate.
In the case of repeated infringements of the same or other artwork, the maximum penalty may be doubled.
In cases of infringement, SAIP urged owners to file a complaint via [email protected], or through SAIP Twitter account (@SAIPKSA), or by visiting SAIP headquarters with supporting documents.
