ACT of 4 February 1994 ON COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS
Chapter 1. The Subject Matter of Copyright
Article 1. 1. The subject matter of copyright shall be any manifestation of the creative activity of individual nature, established in any form, irrespective of its value, designation or manner of expression (work). 2. In particular, the subject matter of copyright shall be: 1) works expressed in words, mathematical symbols, graphic signs (literary, journalistic, scientific and cartographic works, and computer programs), 2) artistic works, 3) photographic works, 4) string musical instruments, 5) industrial design works, 6) architectural works, architectural and town planning works, and town planning works, 7) musical works and verbal and musical works, 8) stage works, stage and musical works, choreographic and pantomime works, 9) audiovisual (including cinematographic) works. 2. Only the manner of expression may be subject to protection. Protection shall not be afforded to inventions, ideas, procedures, methods, principles of operation, or mathematical concepts. 3. The work shall be covered by copyright since it has been established, even though its form is incomplete. 4. The author shall enjoy copyright protection irrespective of complying with any formalities.
Article 2. 1. The work derived from another author's work (derivative work), in particular its translation, alteration or adaptation, shall be copyrighted without detriment to the original work. 2. The disposal and use of the derivative work shall depend on the permission of the author of the original work (derivative copyright) unless the author's economic rights to the original work have expired. In the case of a database which has the properties of a work the author shall give his permission to the adaptation of such database. 3. The author of the original work may withdraw his permission if the derivative work has not been disseminated within five years from granting such permission. The remuneration paid to the author shall not be refundable. 4. The work which has been created under the inspiration of another author's work shall not be deemed the derivative work. 5. Copies of the derivative work shall indicate the author and the title of the original work.
Article 3. Collections, anthologies, selections, and databases which have the properties of a work shall be covered by copyright even if they contain unprotected materials, provided that their selection, arrangement or composition are creative, without detriment to the rights of the used works.
Article 4. The copyright shall not cover: 1) legislative acts and their official drafts, 2) official documents, materials, logos and symbols, 3) published patent specifications and industrial design specifications, 4) simple press information.
Article 5. The provisions of this Act shall apply to works: 1) whose author or coauthor is a Polish citizen, or 1) whose author is a citizen of a member state of the European Union, or the member states of the European Agreement on Free Trade (EFTA) –parties to the agreement on the European Economic Area; 2) which have been published for the first time within the territory of the Republic of Poland or simultaneously within such territory and abroad, or 3) which have been published for the first time in Polish, or 4) which are protected under international agreements to the extent that their protection arises from such agreements.