E-copyright, a legal right to protect creator’s original work digitally, is expected to encourage more application for copyright and that the creative-minded citizens of Bangladesh will have a better chance at protecting the intellectual property rights of their creations. To protect intellectual property rights, the government launched online copyright registration (e-copyright) system on August 23.  

Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) President Mustafa Jabbar told The Independent that to provide any types of digital service at the people’s doorstep is commendable.

He also said, the entire application process is digital, so this would certainly save time, because, it used to take 30 to 40 days to complete the entire application process in the earlier system.

Asking about the challenges, he said, so far, we have been performed very weak in terms of protecting the intellectual property rights and after 2005, Copyright Act, 2000, the law was never been amended.

“So, after copyright system, patent and design—these are the two things which need to be included and developed as a separate digital system, because since 1911, our patent Act was never been amended” he informed.

BASIS president suggested by saying, “If these two laws are being amended, then we would definitely reform the digital rights of digital media”

e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) President Razib Ahmed told The Independent that e-Copyright not only to protect the online piracy, but to conserve the international rights as well.

Describing the benefits, he said, “We can share and sell stuffs such as—virtual e-book, design platform, digital photograpy, digital printing, music, documentary in the e-commerce platform”

According to the officials, The Bangladesh Copyright Office used Access to Information (a2i) Service Innovation Fund, launched with technical assistance from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to develop this ‘e-Copyright’ system using which any

individual or institution from anywhere in Bangladesh can now apply online for copyright of literature, drama, music, records, paintings, movies, radio programs, television programs, and

software.   

“Previously, traditionally, to apply for copyright of any creative work, one needed to come to the copyright office in Dhaka. Again, there was knowledge gap among the applicants regarding which documents were required to be submitted along with their application”, officials said.

It used to take 30 to 40 days to complete the entire manual application process, as a result, it used to add up the cost of application as well,

officials added.