Zoran Naumović Speaks to Bloomberg Adria on Copyright Law
Our founder, Zoran Naumović, spoke to Bloomberg Adria about copyright protection in Serbia – a topic increasingly relevant to photographers, architects, designers and software engineers. The interview, conducted by journalist Tamara Kostić, was published on February 19, 2026 under the title “Copyright in Practice – Who Can Use What”.
What does Zoran Naumović explain?
- Copyright arises automatically the moment an original idea is expressed in a concrete form – a photograph, text, code, design or piece of music; the idea itself, however brilliant, is not protected until it takes a tangible shape.
- Copyright operates erga omnes, applying against everyone worldwide with no territorial limitation, unlike trademarks, patents or industrial designs, where novelty and filing priority matter.
- Copyright does not depend on who created something first, only on originality – two authors on opposite sides of the world can independently create similar works, and both are protected.
- Copyright consists of two separate systems: moral rights (personal, non-transferable – the right to be credited, to decide on publication, and to protect the work’s integrity) and economic rights (which can be sold or licensed – the right to reproduce, distribute and publicly display the work).
- A common misconception: crediting an author satisfies only the moral right, but never replaces permission to use the work, which concerns economic rights; using a work without permission remains an infringement even when the author is credited.
- A photograph is always a copyrighted work, with no registration required – protection is automatic from the moment it is taken, including photos taken with a mobile phone.
- Depositing a work with the Intellectual Property Office is not mandatory, but provides strong evidence of authorship in a potential dispute, complete with a date and description.
- Most disputes arise in photography, the broader creative industries (design, video, software) and architecture, often involving rights to a project or to photographs of completed buildings.
- The statute of limitations for filing a claim is three years from when the infringement is discovered, or a maximum of five years from when the damage occurred – delaying too long means losing the right to sue.
- The strongest evidence of authorship is a work deposited with the Intellectual Property Office, followed by original files with metadata (such as EXIF data for photos) and written contracts; the weakest position is having no evidence beyond the published work itself.
- An unrealized design concept (for example, an architectural project that was never built) still enjoys full copyright protection, since it has been materialized in documentation, even without physical construction.
- Key recommendation for clients: written contracts that clearly define ownership of economic rights, the treatment of moral rights, and rules for what happens if the collaboration ends – this prevents lengthy and unpredictable disputes.
Message for media and companies
Zoran emphasized that media outlets and companies that publish someone else’s content without permission – even with proper credit – face legal risk: the author can demand removal of the content, damages, compensation for reputational harm, and publication of the court ruling at the infringer’s expense.
The full interview is available on Bloomberg Adria (subscription required): Copyright in Practice – Who Can Use What
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