In Malaysia, copyright is governed by the Copyright Act 1987 and Copyright (Amendment) Act 1990 which comply with the standards and requirements of the Berne Convention 1886. Subsequently, the Copyright Act was amended in 1996, 1997 and year 2000 to streamline with the international development of the intellectual property system.

Copyright protection is automatic in Malaysia. There is no formal registration required for obtaining protection. However, the copyright owner can execute a Statutory Declaration as a supporting document asserting his copyright in any works eligible for copyright protection as provided under S.42 of the Copyright Act 1987. The Statutory Declaration becomes admissible as evidence in any infringement proceedings in the court and shall be prima facie proof of the facts contained therein.