Bet You Didn’t Know These 10 Things About Malaysian Copyright Law.

🎉 10 Fun Facts About Copyright Law in Malaysia

Copyright law doesn’t have to be boring! Whether you’re a content creator, student, business owner, or just curious, these fun facts about Malaysian copyright law will surprise you.

1. No Registration Needed — Copyright Is Automatic

In Malaysia, you don’t need to register your work to enjoy copyright protection. The moment you create something original — like a blog post, photo, song, or design — it’s automatically protected by copyright.

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2. Freedom of Panorama Exists

You can legally photograph buildings and public art (like murals or statues) and use those photos without infringing copyright — as long as they’re permanently placed in a public space.

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3. Joint Authorship Is Protected

If two or more people create a work together, and their contributions can't be separated, they are considered joint authors — and share copyright equally.

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4. Cultural Expressions Are Covered Too

Malaysia protects traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, like indigenous music, patterns, and crafts, from being misused or commercialised without consent.

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5. Performers Have Their Own Rights

Since amendments in 2000, performers (like singers, actors, or musicians) have exclusive rights to control how their performances are used; including on TV, radio, and streaming.

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6. You Can Use Works for Parody or Caricature

Malaysia allows “fair dealing” for things like criticism, news reporting, and education. Interestingly, it also includes parody and caricature, meaning you can legally spoof or satirise a work, within reason.

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7. Artists Deserve Remuneration Too

When a song or performance is used commercially, for example, in a restaurant or on the radio. The performer has the right to equitable remuneration (i.e., to be paid!).

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8. Copyright Lasts a Long Time

For literary, musical, and artistic works, copyright lasts for the author’s lifetime + 50 years. In joint authorship, it’s 50 years after the last author dies.

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9. Even Government Works Are Copyrighted

Works created by or under the direction of the Malaysian government are protected too. Including legislation, reports, and publications.

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10. Teachers Can Use Copyrighted Works (Within Limits)

Teachers and educators are allowed to use copyrighted content under “fair dealing” provisions for education as long as it’s fair, non-commercial, and properly credited.

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Got more questions about copyright in Malaysia? Or have a weird case you’ve encountered? Let me know in the comments — I might turn it into the next blog post!