Резюме

This study explores specific aspects of granting copyright protection to photographs. The analysis covers the main international instruments in the field, including the Berne Convention, the Universal Convention, and the TRIPS Agreement, as well as EU law, notably Directive 2006/116/ EC. It also examines differences between national legal systems particularly Continental and Anglo-Saxon, alongside the regulation of photographs under the Bulgarian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act. The study examines the criteria for granting protection and the legal regime governing photographs in different legal contexts. It pays special attention to the concept of originality as a unified, supra-national normative criterion for distinguishing between photographic works entitled to copyright protection and other photographs. The analysis compares the understanding of originality in the Anglo-Saxon and Continental legal systems. In addition, it covers various models for granting protection to photographs, including non-original photographs, and analyses the conditions under which arises the legal protection under the Bulgarian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act. Finally, the study summarises the characteristics of photographic works that enjoy copyright protection in Bulgaria.