http://www.ipos.gov.sg/main/aboutip/copyright/overseasprotect.html
It says,
COPYRIGHT :
OVERSEAS PROTECTION FOR COPYRIGHT WORKS CREATED IN
SINGAPORE
Generally, a copyright work created by a Singapore citizen or
resident is protected overseas through international conventions
and agreements signed by countries. International conventions and
agreements obligate the member countries and World Trade
Organisation member countries (including Singapore) to grant
uniform protection for copyright works as laid down in these
conventions/agreements. The protection of a work by a Singapore
resident would be as though the work was made by those countries'
residents. The protection in most countries is also automatic in
that there is no need to register in order to be conferred
protection. However countries such as Canada and the US provide for
registration to facilitate proof of copyright in infringement
proceedings.
Singapore, under the Berne Convention and the TRIPS Agreement,
grants protection to copyright works created by nationals or
residents of countries that are signatories of the Berne Convention
and WTO member countries.
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic
Works, a convention on copyright for authors' works and films that
is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO).
A list of countries party to the Berne Convention may be found at
the WIPO website www.wipo.int.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPS Agreement) (1994) of the World Trade Organisation
(WTO). A list of member countries of the WTO may be found at the
WTO website at www.wto.org.
Further info on the TRIPS agreement, in particular the Berne
Convention: http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/agrm7_e.htm
It says,
Copyright
The TRIPS agreement ensures that computer programs will be
protected as literary works under the Berne Convention and outlines
how databases should be protected.
It also expands international copyright rules to cover rental
rights. Authors of computer programs and producers of sound
recordings must have the right to prohibit the commercial rental of
their works to the public. A similar exclusive right applies to
films where commercial rental has led to widespread copying,
affecting copyright-ownersÂ’ potential earnings from their
films.
The agreement says performers must also have the right to prevent
unauthorized recording, reproduction and broadcast of live
performances (bootlegging) for no less than 50 years. Producers of
sound recordings must have the right to prevent the unauthorized
reproduction of recordings for a period of 50 years.
The creation of written content, online or otherwise, is covered
as intellectual property. So all you have to do is to draft the
right cease-and-desist letter.
As for safeguards... Javascript, and if you really wanna (which I'm
considering but have yet to enact), write a robot script so Google
won't cache it.
The reason why I'm not wild about the latter is 'cos it's harder to
proof plagiarism -- as an online blogging medium, I could be
accused of altering dates -- so Google Cache, in this instance,
will be an independent verifier.
It's good to have a knowledge of law, sometimes. -shrug.
