In Ireland, there is no registration procedure for owners of a copyright work. Basically the act of creating a work also creates the copyright, which then subsists in the physical expression of the work. Copyrights are protected by law and illegal use of these rights can be contested in the Courts, the technical term for this misuse is infringement. The legislation provides for criminal offences and consequently infringers could face both civil liability and criminal convictions. Professional advice should be sought by copyright owners with regard to the options and the remedies available where infringement of their work occurs.
