Copyright

Copyright protects sound recordings, films, broadcasts and original artistic, musical, dramatic and literary works. This includes, for example, photographs, sculptures, websites, computer programs, plays, books, videos, databases, maps and logos. But it does not protect the names, designs or functions of the items themselves.

Copyright is an automatic right which you do not need to formally apply or pay for. It arises as soon as the work is produced, e.g. written down, recorded or stored in a computer memory.

You can use © followed by your name and the date to indicate when it was created and by who. A dated copy of the work can be deposited with a solicitor or bank to establish beyond doubt when you created your work. This can be important if someone copies your work without permission. If on the other hand someone created his/her work before you created yours, then there is no infringement of your rights.

As the owner of the copyright you have the right to licence it or sell, or otherwise transfer the copyright to someone else. And if you want to use someone else’s copyrighted material in your business, you must normally get permission from the owner or the body that holds the right to the material.

Copyright in literary, musical, artistic and dramatic work lasts for the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years. For films it is 70 years after the death of the last of the directors, score composer, dialogue or screenplay authors and for TV and radio programmes it is 50 years from the first broadcast. Sound recording copyright lasts for 50 years. A publisher’s right of copyrighted material lasts for 25 years from creation.