What are neighboring (or related) rights?
Copyright protects the rights of the creator or subsequent owner of a work. However, the distribution or exploitation of a work often involves more than just the creator. For example, if someone writes a song, they may want someone to perform the song, someone to produce it, etc. Some jurisdictions extend copyright protection to these persons; other jurisdictions offer protection as neighboring (or related) rights. Neighboring rights may include performers’ rights or broadcasters’ rights. The Rome Convention sets forth some minimum guidelines for the scope of neighboring rights. Not all jurisdictions recognize neighboring rights, so it is best to check the law of your jurisdiction. Access the jurisdiction database to compare how different ports address this issue.
