What does copyright and related rights mean and cover, and is it the same all over the world?

Copyright and related rights address separate but overlapping subject matter and interests that are recognised and protected under Irish law. Writers and composers, for example, enjoy copyright in original compositions, while the actors and performers who give effect to those copyright works enjoy related rights in respect of their contributions. Both copyright and performance rights can be remunerative and psychological — recognition, for instance. While a worldwide consensus about the nature of copyright is underpinned by Treaty law, greater differences exist at national level in relation to related rights. EU law, however, has effected a large measure of uniformity. As a basic rule, any infringement of a copyright or related right should be pursued in the legal system of the country or state where the unlawful act (e.g. copying) took place.