COPYRIGHT ACT
(CHAPTER 63)
REVISED EDITION 1988
Act 2 of 1987
S 130/88
S 22/89
Act 14/1994
Act 15/1994
Act 24/1995
6 of 1998
3 of 1999
An Act relating to copyright and matters related thereto.
[10th April 1987]
PART I PRELIMINARY
Short title.
1. This Act may be cited as the Copyright Act.
Application.
2. Except insofar as Part XI otherwise expressly provides, this Act shall apply in relation to things existing on 10th April 1987 in like manner as it applies in relation to things coming into existence after that date.
S 107/87.
Application to Government.
3. Subject to Part X, this Act shall bind the Government but nothing in this Act shall render the Government liable to be prosecuted for an offence.
Copyright not to subsist except by virtue of this Act.
4. Subject to the provisions of this Act, no copyright shall subsist otherwise than by virtue of this Act.
Savings of rights of Government, etc.
5. Nothing in this Act shall affect any right or privilege of the Government or any other person under any other written law, except insofar as that law is expressly re-pealed, amended or modified by this Act.
Operation of other laws.
6. Nothing in this Act shall affect the operation of the law relating to breaches of trust or confidence.
PART II INTERPRETATION
Interpretation.
7. —(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“accessory” , in relation to an article, means one or more of the following:
(a) a label affixed to, or displayed on, the article;
(b) the packaging or container in which the article is packaged or contained;
(c) a label affixed to, or displayed on, the packaging or container in which the article is packaged or contained;
(d) a leaflet, pamphlet, certificate, warranty, brochure, written instruction or other information incidental to the article and provided with the article on its sale;
(e) an instructional sound recording or cinematograph film incidental to the article and provided with the article on its sale,
but does not include —
(i) a copy of work that is incorporated into the surface of the article and is a permanent part of the article;
(ii) a copy of a work that cannot be separated from the article without ren-dering the article unsuitable for its ordinary use; or
(iii) a manual sold with computer software for use in connection with that software;
Act 14/94 wef 1.10.94 vide S 370/94.
“adaptation” —
(a) in relation to a literary work in a non-dramatic form, means a version of the work (whether in its original language or in a different language) in a dramatic form;
(b) in relation to a literary work in a dramatic form, means a version of the work (whether in its original language or in a different language) in a non-dramatic form;
(c) in relation to a literary work being a computer program, means a version of the work (whether or not in the language, code or notation in which the work was originally expressed) not being a reproduction of the work;
(d) in relation to a literary work (whether in a non-dramatic form or dramatic form), means —
(i) a translation of the work; or
(ii) a version of the work in which a story or action is conveyed solely or principally by means of pictures; and
(e) in relation to a musical work, means an arrangement or transcription of the work;
“archives” means —
(a) archival material in the custody of the National Archives of Singapore established under section 17 of the National Heritage Board Act (Cap. 196A);
(b) a collection of documents or other material to which this paragraph applies by virtue of subsection (4);
“artistic work” means —
(a) a painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving or photograph, whether the work is of artistic quality or not;
(b) a building or model of a building, whether the building or model is of artistic quality or not; or
(c) a work of artistic craftsmanship to which neither paragraph (a) nor (b) applies,
but does not include a layout-design or an integrated circuit within the meaning of section 2 of the Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits Act 1999.
“author” , in relation to a photograph, means the person who took the photograph;
“broadcast” means broadcast by wireless telegraphy, and “broadcasting” shall have a corresponding meaning;
“building” includes a structure of any kind;
“cable programme” means a programme which is included in a cable programme service;
“cable programme service” means a service which consists wholly or mainly in the sending by any person, by means of a telecommunication system (whether run by him or by any other person), of sounds or visual images or both either —
(a) for reception, otherwise than by wireless telegraphy, at two or more places in Singapore, whether they are so sent for simultaneous reception or at different times in response to requests made by different users of the service; or
(b) for reception, by whatever means, at a place in Singapore for the purpose of their being presented there either to members of the public or to any group of persons;
“cinematograph film” means the aggregate of visual images embodied in an ar-ticle or thing so as to be capable by the use of that article or thing —
(a) of being shown as a moving picture; or
(b) of being embodied in another article or thing by the use of which it can be so shown,
and includes the aggregate of the sounds embodied in a sound-track associated with such visual images;
“citizen of Singapore” includes a person who, if he had been alive on 1st No-vember 1957, would have qualified for Singapore citizenship under the Sin-gapore Citizenship Ordinance 1957;
35/57.
“computer program” means an expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions (whether with or without related information) intended, either directly or after either or both of the following:
(a) conversion to another language, code or notation;
(b) reproduction in a different material form,
to cause a device having information processing capabilities to perform a par-ticular function;
“construction” includes erection and “reconstruction” shall have a corresponding meaning;
“conveyance” has the same meaning as in the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act (Cap. 272A);
“copy” , in relation to a cinematograph film, means any article or thing in which the visual images or sounds comprising the film are embodied;
“Copyright Act 1911” means the Copyright Act 1911 1 of the United Kingdom insofar as it has effect as part of the law of Singapore;
U.K. 1911 c. 46.
1 Repealed by section 203, which is omitted in this Edition.
2This section repealed the U.K. Copyright Act 1911, the Copyright Act and the Copyright (Gramophone Records and Broadcasting) Act (1970 Ed. Caps. 187 and 188).
3This section repealed section 38 of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Act (Chapter 297).
4The Ordinance came into operation on 1st November 1957.
5Repealed by section 203, which is omitted in this Edition.
6The Act came into operation on 1st July 1912.
7The Act came into operation on 1st July 1912.
8The Act came into operation on 1st July 1912.
“Copyright Tribunal” or “Tribunal” means the Copyright Tribunal established under Part VII;
“dramatic work” includes —
(a) a choreographic show or other dumb show if described in writing in the form in which the show is to be presented; and
(b) a scenario or script for a cinematograph film,