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Artworks Protected by Copyright

Every creative work begins with an idea, but copyright only applies when creativity takes a perceivable form, such as a painting, a sculpture, a photograph, a drawing, or a digital artwork. In many legal systems this form must also be tangible or fixed, though that requirement is not universal. Concepts such as originality and fixation, and sometimes functionality, determine when a work is protected and how it relates to other rights.

WaOne speaks about artworks protected by copyright.
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What kind of artworks are protected by copyright?

Paintings or sculptures might be the first that come to mind.

But copyright protection goes much further.

It can also include installations, digital art, murals, and even works that are temporary or meant to disappear.

My name is Volodymyr Manzhos, also known as WaOne.

I am an artist from Ukraine, and my practice moves across painting, murals and sculpture.

Think about your own work.

Is it physical or digital?

Permanent or ephemeral?

Created for a gallery, a public space or for the online world?

When artists work across different media and spaces, such as on public walls or in digital environments, copyright issues can become complex.

As artists, we may push boundaries through our work, but to protect our work, we need to understand the boundaries of copyright.

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