Your work deserves protection. Copyright ensures that you, as the creator, retain control over how your work is used and forms the basis for fair compensation when others use it.
Sabam supports creators in managing these rights. We monitor the use of works, arrange licenses, collect royalties, and ensure that authors and rights holders receive what they are entitled to.
Copyright arises automatically as soon as you create an original work. You do not need to apply for it or officially register it.
Copyright gives you the exclusive right to decide how your work is used. Anyone who wants to copy, publish, perform, broadcast, stream, adapt, or otherwise distribute your work generally needs your permission.
Copyright not only protects your creation but also ensures that you can receive compensation when others use your work.
Copyright arises automatically. This means you don’t need to register it to be protected.
Would you like to be able to prove later that you are the creator or when a work was created? If so, you can use OnlineDepot.
Through this free service, you can digitally record your creative works and receive a certificate with the date of filing. This can be helpful if questions arise later about the authorship or the date of creation of a work.
OnlineDepot does not create copyright. However, it does help you document your creation and the date of filing.
In Belgium, copyright protection lasts until 70 years after the creator’s death.
Your work remains protected even after your death. If the work continues to be used during this period, your heirs may still receive compensation for such use.
Once this period expires, the work enters the public domain. From that point on, it may be used freely without the permission of the rights holders.
In some situations, a work may be used without the creator’s prior permission. Examples include certain forms of quotation, educational purposes, or news reporting.
These exceptions are established by law and apply only under specific conditions.
