Copyrights refers to those rights given to creators for their literary and artistic works.
The works eligible for copyrights protection under Kenyan law are:
- Literary works such as novels stories , poems ,plays , newspapers and computer programs databases and films
- Musical works such as musical compositions
- Artistic works such as paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture works of architecture inform of buildings or models, maps, plans and diagrams
- Audio Visual such as videotapes
- Sound recordings such as audio cds , audio tapes
- A broad cast is not eligible for copyright until it has been broadcast
The original creators, including their heirs have the exclusive right to use or authorize others to use their work on agreed terms. The creator of a work can prohibit or authorize:
- Its reproduction in various forms , such as printed publication or sound recording
- Its public performance as in play or musical work
- Recordings of it for example in the form of compact discs cassettes or video tapes
- Its broadcasting by radio, tape or satellite
- Its translation into other languages or its adaptation for example novel into a screen play