The original subject of copyright is always an individual, the creative work of which created a work of science, literature or art, as well as other intellectual property – the author. The author owns the full range of copyright – personal non-property rights and the exclusive right (property right) to use the work in any form and in any way not contrary to the law. The person indicated as the author on the original or copy of the work is considered its author, unless otherwise proved (the so-called «presumption of authorship»). When publishing the work anonymously or under a pseudonym (except for the case when the author’s pseudonym leaves no doubt his personality) the publisher, whose name or name is indicated on the work, is considered the representative of the author and in this capacity has the right to protect the rights of the author and ensure their implementation. This provision is valid until the author of such a work reveals his identity and does not declare his authorship.
Also, subjects of copyright may be persons who have exclusive rights to the work, which passed to them from the author for various reasons. Such subjects are called copyright holders. Such rights holders can be:
- various enterprises (publishing houses, radio and television companies, etc.) acquiring the exclusive right to use the work;
- employers, if the work is created by an employee who works for hire, then the employer has the exclusive right to work,
- customers, in the case of creating a work of fine art or photo production under an order agreement;
- the heirs of the author or other copyright holder (the copyright of the heirs is limited to a certain period, which begins to run after the death of the author, and in some cases in terms of volume).