Abstract
LL.M. (Commercial Law)
This research will consider to what extent fictional characters may be protected by copyright
law. The discussion will concentrate on the position in the United States of America, the
United Kingdom and South Africa. It appears that the reluctance to afford copyright
protection to fictional characters stems from their dichotomic nature. As such, the impact of
the idea/expression dichotomy will be examined as it is the key issue in determining whether
a fictional character will be protected by copyright.