Basics of Copyright

The BASICS OF COPYRIGHT explain in detail the Swiss copyright following the structure of the corresponding law.

  1. The first chapter “WHERE… is the work used and which national law is applicable?” specifies under which conditions the Swiss law is applicable.
  2. The second chapter “WHAT… is a protected work?” introduces the concept of “work” and presents the criteria according to which a work is protected by copyright.
  3. The third chapter “WHO… owns the copyright in the work?” speaks about the author of a work and the other persons who can own the right in the work.
  4. The fourth chapter “WHICH… rights in the work are protected?” explains the rights an author has in his/her work and how s/he can use them.
  5. The fifth chapter “HOW… may other people use a work?” presents the framework of how a work can be used by the public.
  6. The sixth chapter “AND… responsibility and sanctions?” elaborates the consequences of infringing copyright.

The Basics of copyright are written so to be understandable by a public of non experts, and are complemented by several links that refer to other internal and external resources, such as laws, legal decisions, and so on. In addition to the text, the sections “Good to know” and “To consider” highlight some specific aspects that are particularly relevant and some possible critical issues that are connected to the legal principles that are presented.

Finally, the Basics of copyright are connected to FAQs and interactive Case studies, which complement the contents of the Basics through practical questions and answers and through detailed explanations. The FAQs present questions and answers related to practical cases, while the Case studies allow the user to practice, master and test the knowledge s/he has acquired through the Basics.

Links to the Swiss Copyright Act (CopA):