Does copyright apply on the Internet and to e-mail?

The answer is yes. There is no real difference between copyright and electronic copyright since original works are also protected in electronic format. In South Africa, as a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literacy and Artistic Works (an international treaty), the principle of "national treatment" applies, implying that South Africa legislation applies to Internet activities e.g. downloading information in this country.

When it comes to e-mail the sender or author or the e-mail message is the copyright owner, unless the sender is an employee writing the message in the course of his or her employment, then the employer is the copyright owner. With postings to a a listserv an individual posting made to any list is usually held by the individual who posted the message and the copyright to the compilation of the postings is usually held by the primary list owner or the sponsor.