The Kuwaitisociety is definitely unique. As Kuwaiti nationals, we really appreciate thefact that we have financial stability, giving us the opportunity to be creativeor take a leap of faith in our ability to create - although I believe thateveryone should take a leap of faith in their ability to create. As humans, weare creators.
So even if you donot have the financial perks that Kuwaitis receive, you are still an internalpart of this society, and I urge you to have faith in your ability to becreative and to do your own thing and share and inspire others with your work,whether it is singing, creating art, writing songs, making YouTube videos orwhatever it is that fulfills your purpose.
From a legalpoint of view, there are a few things to consider though when being creative,and today I thought it is important to discuss them.
Copyrighting
Question: As awriter, I want to copyright my work. Where do I go, and what information shouldI be aware of?
Fajer:Copyrighting in Kuwait is done at the National Library of Kuwait, which islocated on Arabian Gulf Road. Copyrighting is usually done in a timely mannerand is internationally for writers for a minimal fee. The copyright is validfor 50 years usually, and the author has the following rights:
1. To have their name or an anonymous name as awriter.
2. The author has the right to ban any changesor edits to their work, or to order the court to do so.
3. To have all mentions of their work cited tothe author.
4. To ban any amendments or rewrites of theirworks.
Question: I am acreative person working on a wide range of artistic pieces, and I would like toknow if I can copyright my pieces?
Fajer: Yes, youcan copyright your pieces. In fact as a general rule, you can copyright anycreative works such as books, editorial pieces, poems, songs, lectures,theatrical works, podcasts, any art, photography, maps, illustrations, computerprograms ie coding, translations and research. You cannot copy general ideas,official documents or daily news and events.
ISBN number
Question: I havewritten a book and I want to get an ISBN number - where can I copyright mybook? Any other thing I should be aware of?
Fajer: We have adepartment in Kuwait that is specifically for literary copyright - it islocated at the National Library of Kuwait. You will need to fill out a form andsubmit your work to the department. The process for protecting your literarywork takes on average around a week, and you will get an international ISBNnumber that you can use worldwide.
Another commonquestion I get for copyrighting books is whether Kuwait guarantees certificatesof ownership of literary work that includes explicit material. The answer tothis question is yes - you can get your book copyrighted even if the contenthas explicit material. There are only two topics that cannot be copyrighted -but these do not include explicit material. This does not mean that your bookcan be published or sold in Kuwait, as you will need approval before doing so.
For questions orqueries, please email us at info@ftl-legal.com.
By Attorney FajerAhmad