Please note that the ownership of the copyright of the work will belong to the creator unless stated otherwise in your agreement and contract.

For your information, the ownership of the copyright can be assigned or transferred,  if both parties are agreeable to the terms which is a private agreement or contract between the parties.

Copyright protects works like novels, computer programs, plays, sheet music, and paintings. Generally, the author of a copyrighted work has the right to reproduce, publish, perform, communicate, and adapt his work. These exclusive rights form the bundle of rights that we call copyright and enable the owner to control the commercial exploitation of his work.

Copyright protects the expression of ideas (e.g. words and illustrations). Ideas alone are not protected.

The following may be protected under copyright law:

•Literary works (e.g., written works, source codes of computer programs)

•Dramatic works (e.g.,. scripts for films and dramas)

•Musical works (e.g., melodies)

•Artistic works (e.g., paintings, photographs)

•Published editions of the above works

•Sound recordings

•Films

•Television and radio broadcasts

•Cable programmes

•Performances

There is no need to file for registration to get copyright protection. An author automatically enjoys copyright protection as soon as he creates and expresses his original work in a tangible form, such as in a recording or writing. Originality simply means that there is a degree of independent effort in the creation of the work.

A copyright work created by a Singapore citizen or resident is protected in many countries overseas by virtue of international agreements. Generally, under these international agreements, the work of a Singapore citizen or resident would be protected in countries that signed the agreements as though the work was made there.

In practice, authors have resorted to a number of ways to preserve their interests. They may have:

•Deposited a copy of their work with their lawyers or in a depository

•Sent a copy of their work to themselves by post leaving the envelope unopened so that the date stamp and the unopened work could establish the date of the work’s existence

•Made a declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths stating the facts of ownership and the date of creation

However, these are by no means fool proof methods of proving authorship as they do not prove that the work is original or created by the author. In a dispute, the Court will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to prove the authorship.

In practice, the © symbol is usually followed by the year when copies of the work were first made available and the name of the copyright owner. Sometimes there may also be a statement indicating the terms of permitted use. In cases where owners only allow for very limited use, the term “All Rights Reserved” may be found after the symbol.

Attached is the link to the copyright infopack for your easy reference.

IPOS | Copyright Resources

Articles from newspapers, books and other forms of publications are protected by copyright. You generally need the copyright owners' consent to make copies for use on your website/blog. Merely acknowledging the source will not be enough to avoid infringing copyright in the publications.

The copyright owner may be the publisher, or the individual author, especially if he/she is a freelancer. You should start by checking the copyright notice of the publication.

However, there may not be copyright infringement if your use of the publication falls within the “fair use" exception under sections 190 – 194 of the Copyright Act . “Fair use” includes situations of news reporting and criticisms or review. For such uses, you will need to make a sufficient acknowledgement of the work used.

This depends on the scope of permitted use under the licence terms of the software bought by your company. For instance, the licence terms may only allow installation on the company's equipment.
You should check the terms and conditions accompanying the original software your company bought. 

Generally, a tribute video would reproduce parts of the films in the series as well as perform part of the underlying script. Further, uploading the video on YouTube involves communication of the work. Both reproduction and communication of a work are the exclusive rights of copyright owners. Therefore, if the parts used are substantial in terms of their distinctiveness and importance to the original series, it may be a case of copyright infringement.

However, you may use parts of copyright content without having to first seek consent if your use is fair. This is called the “fair use” exception.

There are 4 statutory factors that the court will consider:
1. The purpose and character of your use;
2. The nature of the work you are using;
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion of the work you are using, in relation to the whole work; and
4. The effect that your use will have on the potential market for, or value of, the work.

This is ultimately a factual assessment to be made and the court may also take into account other relevant factors.