Copyright rules in South Africa

Get to grips with the framework of copyright law in South Africa with the 2018 TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.

What are the main sources of copyright law in South Africa?

The main source of copyright legislation in South Africa (SA) is the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (the Act) as amended from time to time and the Regulations issued in terms of the Act. The Act was last amended by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 with effect from 1 May 2011.

As a common law legal system, SA also relies on case law to interpret and set precedents in law. As a result, there are a number of judicial decisions that contribute to the sources of copyright law in SA.

To find out more about subsistence of copyright, ownership, infringement, remedies, enforcement and copyright reform in South Africa, download the full chapter below.