BELIZE COPYRIGHT LAWS

Copyright is a legal concept, created by law, which grants the creator of an original work exclusive right to it. This right grants the creator of an original work the ability to authorize or prohibit others to use their work in any given way.

REGISTRATION OF COPYRIGHT WORKS

Copyright in this country is governed by the Belize Copyright Act, Chapter 252 of the Laws of Belize. According to the Act, copyright protection is automatic upon the creation of the work, which clearly indicates that the works need not be registered for it to be protected in this country. Nevertheless, the Belize Intellectual Property Office (BELIPO) affords copyright owners the opportunity to deposit their works with the Office.

According to the Act, the protection granted to literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works is calculated by considering the life of the author plus fifty years. On the other hand the duration of protection granted to sound recordings, films, broadcasts and cable programs is calculated at fifty years from the end of the calendar year when the works were created.