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Asian Script Repository -- Frequently asked questions

Brought to you by Screenwriters Association (Singapore), with the kind support of Samuel Seow Law Corporation

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of registering my script with the ASR system?

There is no need for a work to be registered in Singapore to enjoy the protection accorded to it automatically under the local copyright regime. Registration of a writer's script under the ASR does not accord to the work statutory protection under copyright laws. However registration does provide valuable independent evidence capable of being produced by an independent third party to support, where necessary, an author's claim of authorship over a piece of work as of a particular date.

What is the cost of registration?

The fee is Singapore $30 per registration (for a period of 5 years), by cash or by cheque made payable to "Samuel Seow Law Corporation". Do not send cash in the mail.

Do I have to be a member of the SAS to use this service?

No. The ASR is a service, which is offered not only to members of the SAS, but also to the general public. However members of the SAS are entitled to enjoy the service with the accordal to them of additional benefits.

What material may be registered with the ASR?

Works which may be registered under the ASR include:

• scripts
• treatments
• synopses
• outlines
• written ideas specifically intended for radio
• television and film, video cassettes/discs
• stage plays
• novels and other books
• short stories
• poems
• commercials
• lyrics
• drawings
• other interactive and non-interactive media
  

At present the ASR only accepts hard copies of works.

What is the procedure for deposit?

The registration procedure is very simple:

The author may deposit material with Samuel Seow Law Corporation in the following two ways:

By mail

The author is required to send the material to the following address:

Samuel Seow Law Corporation
1 Kim Seng Promenade
#15-12 Great World City West Tower
Singapore 237994

Attn: The Asian Script Repository

By hand in person (during office hours) to

Samuel Seow Law Corporation
1 Kim Seng Promenade
#15-12 Great World City West Tower
Singapore 237994

Each application for registration shall only be processed if it contains ALL of the following:

1. One (1) unbound loose-leaf copy of material containing the work on standard, A4-size paper.
   
   
2. A fully-completed standard form Warranty & Submission Form; and
   
   
3. Registration fee of Singapore $30 (per work deposited) by cash or by cheque made payable to "Samuel Seow Law Corporation"

Please do not send cash via mail. The SAS and Samuel Seow Law Corporation shall bear no responsibility for any loss resulting from the same. In the case of cheque payments, a registration certificate shall only be mailed to the submitting writer (via normal mail) upon the clearance of the cheque. In the case of bounced cheques, Samuel Seow Law Corporation shall immediately destroy the corresponding deposited material and the material shall at no time be treated as having been registered with the ASR.

Upon receipt of the deposited material, Samuel Seow Law Corporation shall seal it in an envelope and will record the date and time on which the material was received. A numbered certificate will then be issued which will serve as proof of registration. Any material, whether submitted by hand or by mail shall not be treated as deposited unless such a numbered certificate is issued and is received by the author who is submitting the material. This numbered certificate is thus important and should not be misplaced. The registration number on the certificate may be written upon all subsequent copies of the work in the manner as described in part (3) below, to assert the author's ownership of the work.

Upon receipt of the certificate, the author may choose to mark future copies of the work as follows:

©, (name of author[s]), (year)
Registered with Screenwriters Association (Singapore) Asian Script Repository
under No. __________

In the case of submissions by mail, neither the SAS nor Samuel Seow Law Corporation shall be responsible for items being lost in the mail.

What is the duration of each registration?

Registration of any piece of work is valid for an initial term of five (5) years. Once the initial term expires, the author may choose to renew the registration for an additional five-year period at the then-prevailing renewal rate. Applications for renewals must be made in writing and signed by the author(s). Applications for renewals will be accepted up to three (3) months prior to the expiration of the initial term. The SAS and Samuel Seow Law Corporation shall be entitled to destroy all material which has been deposited under the ASR forthwith upon the expiry of the initial term should a valid application for renewal not be filed on time.

Can I withdraw any deposited material when I want to?

Registered material may not be withdrawn in usual circumstances. The author must thus always retain a separate copy of the material being registered.

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