As of 2018 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations, listed Law No. 2008-09 of January 25, 2008, on Copyright and Related Rights as the main copyright law enacted by the legislature of Senegal.^[1] WIPO holds the text of this law in their WIPO Lex database.^[2]

The 2008 law repealed Law No. 73-52 of December 4, 1973 on Copyright Protection; Law No. 86-05 of January 24, 1986 and all earlier provisions contrary to the 2008 law.^{[2008-09 Article 162]} The former 1973 law, in turn, repealed the Law No. 57-298 of March 11, 1957, on Literary and Artistic Property (essentially, the 1957 copyright law of France).^{[1973 Article 14]} WIPO also holds the text of the 1973 law in their WIPO Lex database.

The 2008 law applied to works that had not yet fallen into the public domain.^{[2008-09 Article 161]}

This did not apply to posthumous works.^{[2008-09 Article 161]}

According to the Law No. 2008-09 of January 25, 2008 on Copyright and Related Rights,

• The author's economic rights shall last for his or her lifetime and for 70 years after his death.^{[2008-09 Article 51]}
• The economic rights in a work of joint authorship shall last for the lifetime of the last surviving author and for 70 years after his death.^{[2008-09 Article 52]}
• The economic rights in a work published anonymously or under a pseudonym shall last for 70 years from publication or, if publication has not occurred within 70 years of creation of the work, for 70 years after such creation.^{[2008-09 Article 53]}
• The economic rights in a posthumous work shall last for 70 years from the disclosure of the work.^{[2008-09 Article 54]}

The periods provided for above expire at the end of the calendar year during which they would normally expire.^{[2008-09 Article 55]}

The repealed Law No. 73-52 of December 4, 1973 on Copyright Protection, as amended by Law No. 86-05 of January 24, 1986, provided 50-year term of protection for most works and 25-year term of protection for photographs and applied art.^{[1973 Articles 40–41]} Prior that, the 1957 copyright law of France gave 50-year term for most works and 70-year term for musical works.^{[1957 Articles 21–23]}

 Unsure West African CFA franc used in Senegal has close ties to France. French Cour de Cassation ruled in 2002 that franc is not covered by Copyright Law^[4], but it is not known if it also applies to West African CFA franc.

See also: COM:CUR France

• The author may not prohibit the reproduction or communication of a graphic or three dimensional work that is permanently located in a place open to the public, unless the image of the work is the main subject of such reproduction, broadcast or communication and is used for commercial purposes.^{[2008-09 Article 46]}

The freedom of panorama provision of the repealed 1973 copyright act is also not acceptable to Commons, as it was only valid for audio-visual media: "It shall be lawful to reproduce, for the purposes of cinematography, television and communication to the public, works of figurative art and of architecture permanently located in a place where they can be viewed by the public or are included in the film or in the broadcast only by way of background or as incidental to the essential matters represented."^{[1973 Article 14]}

Works of the mind may enjoy protection only if they are original. "Originality" means the work bears the stamp of the author's personality.^{[2008-09 Article 7]}