Requirements

The protection arises if your work is sufficiently original and thereby considered to meet the threshold of originality.

Period of validity 

The protection applies for 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. 

Who gains the protection? 

The copyright protects the design of the various parts of the game, but not the idea itself.

A game often contains many different parts which can be protected by copyright: 

• Program code is protected as a literary work. Program code means a series of instructions which makes a computer work in a particular way and covers both the source code and the object code. It does not matter what medium the program code is stored on.
• Preparatory design material, such as a storyboard.
• Other documentation produced before and during the creation of the game.
• Images and figures can be protected as works of art.
• Music used in the computer game can be protected as musical works.
• Film sequences used in the game can be protected as cinematographic works.
• Databases used in the game can be covered by the copyright’s database protection. 

Remember that copying for private use is permitted for all works except computer programs. Special copyright rules apply to the handling of these. 

Who owns the copyright? 

Copyright falls to the person or party that created the work’s program code, image or music. If several people were involved in the creation process, you will share the copyright to the work. There are exceptions in connection with employment relationships. Remember that special provisions apply concerning agreements regarding copyright. It is often a complicated area. If you are unsure of anything, seek legal assistance.