Copyright Notice Warning – 4 Headings

© All photographs, illustrations and graphic illustrations are, according to international law, the copyright © of Janek Szymanowski, Penny Swift, PJA Web and/or individual photographers who are acknowledged on the site.

Neither these nor any of the texts on this website may be reproduced or used in any way whatsoever without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

Please use CONTACT US if you want to use anything. We do have high-resolution images which are available for print use, at a pre-negotiated fee.

Please Note!

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not associated with or have any affiliate links to the SABS or with the NHBRC. The documented SANS are copyrighted works produced and sold by the SABS. We are not able to supply this material or duplicate it.

You can purchase all the current SANS from the SABS store. We are here to help prospective and current owners and builders with information for home building and renovations/extensions so that you can build in compliance with the law, without any problems along the way or in the future.

We are authors of many home-related books in South Africa. The best-selling of these is Owner Building in South Africa.

Copyright Worldwide

While no creative work is automatically protected worldwide, there are international treaties which provide protection automatically for all creative works as soon as they are fixed in a medium. There are two primary international copyright agreements, the Buenos Aires Convention and the Berne Convention.

Berne Convention

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (also referred to as just the Berne Convention) requires protection for all creative works in a fixed medium be automatic, and last for at least 50 years after the author’s death for any work except for photographic and cinematographic works.

Photographic works are tied to a minimum of 25 years. Cinematographic works are protected for 50 years after first showing, or 50 years after creation if it hasn’t been shown within 50 years after the creation. The Berne Convention also allows for the rule of the shorter term, stating that “unless the legislation of that country otherwise provides, the term shall not exceed the term fixed in the country of origin of the work”. Not all countries have applied this rule however.

Buenos Aires Convention

The Buenos Aires Convention (Third Pan-American Convention) was a treaty signed by most North and South American countries, which allows for protection of all creative works as long as they contain a notice informing that the creator claims copyright on it. The Buenos Aires Convention also instituted the rule of the shorter term, where the length of the copyright term for the work in a country was whichever was shorter – the length of the term in the source country, or the protecting country of the work.

All Buenos Aires countries are now also parties to the Berne Convention, but elements from Buenos Aires are still used in the modern era, such as the rule of the shorter term.

What is copyright?

Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects creators and their original works from unauthorized copying, redistribution, or use. Copyright protection applies to literary works, musical works, visual arts works, sound recordings, and other creative works. Copyright holders are granted exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and publicly perform their works, as well as the right to create derivative works, such as adaptations and translations.

Copyright is a bundle of exclusive rights that are automatically granted to the creator of a work, such as a book, song, or painting. These exclusive rights are the right to reproduce, perform, and distribute the work to the public. Copyright also grants the creator the right to create derivative works, such as sequels and adaptations, and the right to license the work to another party.

When a work is copyrighted, anyone who wants to use or reproduce the work must obtain permission from the copyright holder. This permission is usually granted in the form of a license or other agreement. If a person uses or reproduces the work without permission, they can be held liable for copyright infringement, which can result in legal penalties, such as fines or jail time.

Copyright protection usually lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. During this time, copyright owners, such as publishers or heirs, may hold the copyright. After the copyright term has expired, the work is said to be in the public domain, meaning anyone can use or reproduce it without permission.

Copyright is a form of intellectual property law that grants owners exclusive rights to their original works. Copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years and prohibits others from using or reproducing the work without permission. After the copyright term has expired, the work is said to be in the public domain.