World Book and Copyright Day
On April 23rd, the World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated, declared by UNESCO with the aim of promoting the habit of reading and raising awareness about intellectual property rights, which authors of literary works may acquire.
For this year, UNESCO has chosen Strasbourg (France) as the World Book Capital 2024, with a proposal linked to the role of books in sharing environmental concerns and scientific knowledge, as well as empowering young people to become major agents of change. The intention is to promote books and reading for all ages and populations, both within and beyond its borders.
The World Book Day originated on November 15, 1995, as a way to pay special tribute to great universal writers such as Miguel de Cervantes, Garcilaso de la Vega, William Shakespeare, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla, Manuel Mejías Vallejo, among others, as well as to foster and discover the pleasure of reading, the cultural contribution, and the legacy of great writers from both the past and the present.
Copyrights as an Essential Part of Literary Works
Copyright refers to the principles and legal norms that establish the moral, economic, and universal rights that all authors of literary, scientific, musical, artistic, or educational works possess. This category also includes creators of software programs, advertisers and publicists, film producers, as well as derivative works such as translations, adaptations, summaries, etc.
The intellectual property of a work belongs to its author by the mere act of creation. This means that the author holds a series of rights over their works that grant them full capacity and exclusivity to exploit them. These rights are known as copyrights, and within these, we find moral rights and economic rights.
Moral rights are personal, non-transferable, and inalienable, with some being unlimited in time. For example, the right to recognition of authorship and integrity of works lasts forever. Recognition of authorship and integrity of works are the most important moral rights, along with the right to disclosure.
Economic rights or exploitation rights are time-limited, and their duration depends on the legislation of each country. In El Salvador, they last for the author’s lifetime and 70 years after their death. These economic or exploitation rights are transferable, meaning they can be sold, assigned, or shared with third parties, for economic or non-economic interest. Therefore, ownership of exploitation rights does not always belong to the author, as they may have transferred or sold them to a third person or entity.
Written by: Lexincorp El Salvador
