- Chapter I Definitions
- Chapter II Scope of Protection
- Chapter III Author’s Rights
- Chapter IV Free Use of Protected Works
- Chapter V Term of Copyright Protection
- Chapter VI Transfer of Author’s Rights
- Chapter VII Deposit of Works
- Chapter VIII Means for the Protection of Author’s Rights
- Chapter IX Protection of Performers, Producers of Sound Recordingsand Broadcasting Organizations
- Chapter X Final Clause
Royal Decree No. 37/2000
Promulgating the Law on the Protection of Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Articles We, Qaboos Bin Said, Sultan of Oman After perusal of the Basic Law of the State promulgated by the Royal
Decree No. 101/96. And the Copyrights Law promulgated by the Royal Decree No. 47/96. And in pursuance of the public interest. Have decreed as follows: 3. The Royal Decree No. 47/96 mentioned above shall be cancelled.
4. This Decree shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into force as from the date of its publication.
Qaboos Bin Said Sultan of Oman
Issued on: 17 Safar 1421 H. 21 May 2000
Official Gazette No. 672
1. For the purposes of this Law, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings given below, unless otherwise required by the context:
Author: the natural person who created the work.
Work: any created literary, scientific or artistic work.
Audiovisual work: any work made to be listened to and watched simultaneously, which consists of a series of related images with accompanying sounds recorded on an appropriate medium, to be displayed through appropriate devices.
Collective work: a work created by a group under the direction of a natural person or legal entity in such a way that the individual contributions to the work are indistinguishable from each other. The natural person who or legal entity which directed and organized the creation of this work shall alone have the right to exercise the author’s rights in such a work.
Joint work: a work created by more than one person. Where it is impossible to distinguish the contribution of each one in the joint work from that of the others, all shall be equally considered owners of the work, unless otherwise agreed. Where the individual contributions to the work are distinguishable, each shall have the right, unless otherwise agreed, to exploit alone his contribution without prejudice to the exploitation of the joint work.
Translation: the expression of a work in a language other than that of the original text.
Publication: making copies of a work or a sound recording available to the public with the consent of the author or the producer of the sound recording, in a quantity that reasonably satisfies the public needs, through sale, rental or otherwise transfer of ownership, possession of a work, sound recording or right to use such work or sound recording. Publication also means making a copy of a work or a sound recording available to the public by any electronic medium.
Computer programs: a set of expressions and instructions expressed in any language, code or scheme, for direct or indirect use in computers with the aim to achieve specific results.
Folklore: literary, artistic or scientific works created in Oman by popular groups expressing their cultural identity, which are transferred from generation to generation and represent a fundamental element in the national popular traditional heritage. The competent authority shall exercise the author’s rights in works of folklore to object to any mutilation, modification or unlawful commercial exploitation.
2. Protection under this Law shall be enjoyed by authors of created literary, scientific, artistic and cultural works in general, regardless of the value, type, method of expression or objective of such works. Such protection shall extend in particular to authors of Protection provided for in the foregoing paragraphs shall be without prejudice to protection enjoyed by authors of the original works and their successors in title.
4. Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 2 and 3, protection shall not extend to
(a) international treaties, court decisions, official documents as well as official translations thereof.
Chapter I: Definitions..................................................................... 1 Chapter II: Scope of Protection ....................................................... 2 4 Chapter III: Author’s Rights............................................................. 5 Chapter IV: Free Use of Protected Works ........................................ 6 Chapter V: Term of Copyright Protection ....................................... 7 9 Chapter VI: Transfer of Author’s Rights .......................................... 10 11 Chapter VII: Deposit of Works .......................................................... 12 Chapter VIII: Means for the Protection of Author’s Rights................. 13 14 Chapter IX: Protection of Performers, Producers of Sound Recordings and Broadcasting Organizations................. 15 23 Chapter X: Final Clauses................................................................. 24
Law on Copyright and Related Rights
Chapter I
Definitions
Chapter II
Scope of Protection