What is Copyright?

WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?

Copyright is the means of protecting various pieces of work that you have produced. Copyright is one of four areas in which its creator can protect his/hers work, the others include Design Rights, Patent and Trademarks

Pieces of work includes: -
Ø Music and Lyrics
Ø Web sites
Ø Software
Ø Photographs
Ø Film footage, plays and TV programmes
Ø Commercial documents and advertising
Ø Magazines and periodicals
Ø Designs and logos
Ø Artwork, illustrations and paintings
Ø Written illustrations and paintings

These are only a few of the many pieces of work that can be protected.
The dictionary defines copyright as,
“exclusive legal right to print publish, perform film or record material”.
Oxford Dictionary (1998) P186

Copyright gives the owner of the work an automatic right of ownership as long as the work is,
“original and exhibits a degree of labour, skill or judgement”.
UK©CS website

Ideas cannot be copyrighted, but the work that is produced from that idea can be.

If work is produced whilst in the employment of others then the copyright belongs to that group not the individual. Work that is produced by an individual who is freelance belongs to the person who created that work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, and only the owner can bring proceedings in a court of law.

The duration of copyright differs depending on what the medium was used, for instance: -
Ø Literary, dramatic, musical and works of art
o 70 years from when the author dies.
o If the author is not known then 70 years from when the work was produced.
Ø Recording and broadcasts
o 50 years from when the work was released.
Ø Films
o 70 years from when from when the principal director, author or composer died.
Ø The written word
o 25 years from when the work was first published
Ø Broadcasts
o 50 years from when the broadcast was first made.


Reference

Oxford Quick Reference Dictionary (1998)
London, London University Press,

UK©CS The UK Copyright Service http://copyrightservice.co.uk/
Accessed 15/11/07