Copyright exists automatically for original creative works including literature, music, films, software, and art.

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Copyright gives creators the right to control how their works are used, reproduced, distributed, and displayed. This includes the ability to authorise or restrict others from copying, performing, or adapting their work. The duration of copyright depends on the nature of the work and how it is created.

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In New Zealand, there are special rules for copyright in three-dimensional works having a primarily utilitarian function.

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For more information, get in touch with our team of copyright experts.