Copyright in Belarus arises automatically, but registration and deposit of a work help confirm authorship, the content of the work and the date of its existence, and strengthen the evidentiary basis in the event of a dispute.
In the Republic of Belarus, copyright protection does not require registration. However, registration and deposit of a work with the National Center of Intellectual Property (NCIP) provide documentary fixation of the fact that the work was submitted for deposit, its content and information about the right holder.
Registration and deposit are often used as an evidentiary tool in disputes concerning authorship and ownership of rights.
The applicant submits materials allowing the work to be identified, as well as information and documents required for registration and deposit.
The completeness and compliance of the submitted materials with the established requirements are verified.
After the materials are accepted for consideration, the applicant receives an invoice for NCIP services.
After payment, information about the object is entered in the Register of Copyright Objects, and the materials are accepted for deposit.
The applicant receives a certificate of registration and deposit.
Registration and deposit are usually completed within approximately 5 days after the materials are accepted and NCIP services are paid.
Submission of the object, documents and materials containing information about it is part of the registration and deposit procedure. The materials may be submitted in electronic form, while paper submissions may require creation of a digital copy or scanning of the materials.
The digital copy of the deposited object, documents and materials are accepted by NCIP for storage. The storage period is selected when arranging the service and may be 2, 5 or 10 years.
Publication of information about the deposited object on the official NCIP website is a separate option and may be taken into account when calculating the cost of the service.
Important: Materials may be submitted in electronic form; paper submissions may require digitisation or scanning.
The final cost consists of several elements of the service and depends on the selected parameters of registration, deposit, storage of materials and publication of information:
Important: In certain cases, NCIP discounts may apply, including for registration and deposit of a group of objects, for certain categories of individuals or under special offers. The applicability of any discount is determined under the current NCIP terms and reflected in the contractual documents.
Registration and deposit are particularly useful in disputes because they help confirm the existence of the work, its content and information about the applicant as of a specific date.
They are usually used together with other measures, such as contractual structuring of relationships and monitoring of use of the work.