Hong Kong Copyright Service
Hotline: 86-755-82143422 Email: anitayao@citilinkia.com
MACA refers to Macau Association of Composers,Authors and Publishers.
1.Q:What does copyright protect?
A： Copyright protects literary, dramatic , musical and artistic works . It also protects sound
recordings , films , published editions , performances and broadcasts . A recording of the song will also be separately protected as a sound recording.
Whenever music is performed in public, communicated or reproduced the songwriter may be entitled to a payment or royalty. This is because the Macau Copyright Law 4399M gives to composers and writers what are known as 'economic rights' which cover certain uses of their music . By licensing and allowing the public performance, communication or reproduction of their music, songwriters may generate income known as royalties.
2.Q:What rights do MACA control and license?
A：When a composer becomes a member of MACA, the composer’s performing rights in all existing and future works are assigned to it . This is the right to perform the work in public and the right to communicate the work in public. MACA then administer these rights on the composer’s behalf . This means that MACA will enter into licence agreements for the performance and communication of music and lyrics , monitor the use of music under these agreements and distribute the royalties collected to the copyright owners whose material is identified as having been used.
3.Q:What about copyright protection in other countries?
A:Most countries have copyright laws similar to Macau. If your work is protected here , it will also be protected in most other territories. This is because most countries have signed international treaties and conventions requiring them to provide minimum standards of protection for copyright works from all countries party to the relevant treaties . Thus,Macau copyright works are protected in many countries and territories, including Canada,China, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong , Indonesia , Japan , Korea, Malaysia,New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.Similarly,works from these countries and other territories will also be protected in Macau.
4.Q:Can a copyright be co-owned?
A: Yes. Copyright of a piece, which is created by a team, is co-owned by all the team members.
5.Q:How long does a copyright last for?
A: In general, a copyright lasts from the date it was acquired until 50 years after the creator’s death.For co-owned copyright, it lasts from the date it was acquired until 50 years after the deaths of all the creators.For the copyright of anonymous piece, published or disclosed piece without the indication of true identity of the creator, it lasts from the date it was acquired until 50 years after publication of the piece. If the parts, chapters or sections of a piece are not published or publicized at the same time, the effective periods of each parts, chapters or sections will be calculated separately.
Contact Us
For further queries, please do not hesitate to contact ATAHK at anytime, anywhere by simply calling China hotline at 86-755-82143422, 86-755-82143512, or emailing to anitayao@citilinkia.com.