In Mexico, copyright arises when the work is created, with no registration. Registering it with INDAUTOR gives you official evidence of authorship and date, which is very useful if someone copies you. Moral rights (being credited as the author) can't be waived; economic rights (exploiting the work) can be assigned or licensed, and that's where brand contracts can cost you.
The good news: you already have rights
In Mexico, copyright arises the moment you create the work, with nothing to register. You wrote that script, took that photo, composed that song: from that instant you're the author and hold rights over it. There's no mandatory filing to "own" your creation.
So why register? Because having the right and being able to prove it when someone copies you are two different things. An INDAUTOR registration is your dated receipt: it shows you made it first, and that's worth gold in a dispute.
What is protected and what isn't
Protected: literary works, photographs, music, audiovisual works, software, illustration, designs, choreography: practically any original creation fixed in a medium.
Not protected: ideas as such (only their concrete expression), concepts, generic formats, common information, or names and titles on their own (that's trademark territory).
The two kinds of rights you hold
Moral rights
They can't be waived and always stay with you: the right to be credited as the author and to keep the work from being distorted. Even if you sell the work, you're still entitled to credit.
Economic rights
The financial ones: reproducing, distributing, communicating and exploiting the work. These can be assigned or licensed, and this is where creators get it wrong most often.
Creators' #1 mistake: brand contracts
When a brand hires you to create content, the contract decides who keeps the rights. Many creators sign without reading and assign all economic rights forever, over all the material, even what was never used. Always check:
- Scope: are you assigning rights only to the published content, or to everything you produced?
- Territory and term: one campaign, or forever and worldwide?
- Exclusivity: can you work with similar brands afterwards?
- Credit: do you keep your moral right to be credited?
How to protect your content from copies
- Register your most valuable works with INDAUTOR: not all of them, but the ones that define your personal brand or generate income.
- Document your process: original files with metadata, drafts, dates. They prove authorship.
- Watermarks and credits on what you publish, where it makes sense.
- Clear contracts with anyone who uses your content, including collaborators.
Frequently asked questions
Is registering works with INDAUTOR mandatory?
No. The right arises on creation. Registration serves as evidence of authorship and date, and is very useful in a dispute.
How long does copyright last in Mexico?
Economic rights last for the author's life plus 100 years. Moral rights never expire.
Is content created outside Mexico protected in Mexico?
Generally yes. Mexico is part of the Berne Convention, so works from other member countries are protected without registration, although an INDAUTOR registration still helps as evidence in Mexican proceedings.
About to sign a content deal?
Send it to us before you sign. We'll flag the clauses that put your rights at risk.
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