Lusaka-based lawyer Dickson Jere has shared important insights on Copyright Law, encouraging Zambians—especially photographers and content creators—to understand how the law protects creative work.
In a Facebook post, Jere revealed that Copyright Law was one of the subjects he enjoyed the most both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, describing it as one of the most interesting branches of Intellectual Property Law.
Jere explained that unlike trademarks, patents, industrial designs or brands—which require registration—copyright protection begins immediately a person creates something.
“For starters, it is one of the few laws in Intellectual Property Law that do not require registration to get protection,” Jere stated.
He added that when someone writes an article, takes a photograph, produces music, or creates any original work, they automatically gain copyright protection without the need to register with institutions like PACRA.
The lawyer further highlighted that copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself.
He explained that while many people can have the same idea, what matters legally is how each person expresses it through their own unique work.
Jere also pointed out one of the most intriguing areas of copyright: photographers covering public events such as traditional ceremonies and sports events.
He noted that two photographers can take almost identical pictures at the same event, from nearly the same angle, yet both may still have individual copyright ownership of their photos.
To illustrate his point, he used an example of photographers capturing Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya saving a penalty from the same angle—stating that each photographer would still own copyright to their own photograph.
According to Jere, in cases where disputes arise, the differences are determined by factors such as time stamps, photo alignment and angles, as cameras often store technical data that helps distinguish images.
Jere concluded by stating that copyright has become even more important in the age of social media, where pictures and content are frequently reposted from multiple sources without proper credit.
He encouraged photographers and creators to always watermark their work with their byline to protect ownership and prevent misuse.
