Copyright Law

Intellectual property or copyright law is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution. This is usually only for a limited time usually during the lifetime and then 70 years after they have died. The exclusive rights are not absolute but narrowed by limitations and exceptions to copyright law, including fair use. A major limitation on copyright is that copyright protects only the original expression of ideas and not the underlying ideas themselves.

Copyright law covers works or items such as; literary creations, sound recordings, drama creations, musical or artistic works, illustrations, images or photography and sound recording and live streamed events.. Also included under copyright laws are; original non-literary works such as computer software, databases and web content. The copyrighted item must exhibit an amount skills, labour or judgment in the production of the item.

There is the necessity for the work or item to have been written down or held in a permanent format. For example the musical composition of the budding flute player hastily scribbled down are equally protected as the detailed score produced by an international pianist.

Registering copyright?

In England and Wales there is not a register of copyright works. Copyright protection in principle arises automatically. This protection is offered for original piece or work. Other countries copyright laws vary from those established in England and Wales. The Berne Convention (as amended on 1979) provides for international agreements on protecting original works and pieces.

What is Copyright law

Copyright law is divided into two areas Economic and Moral.

• Economic means the person who created the piece or image in the first place can charge a fee when someone performs or uses their piece or item.
• Moral is defined as the original creator can object if someone changes, distorts our modifies the original piece or image they have created.

Copyright protection can be claimed where the piece of work is original, it must be in a tangible format and the copy-write owner must created it. 

There are exception to what can be copywrited. These include; specific individual words or phrases, symbols or designs used in everyday life, types of colourings or everyday item lists. If something has been merely augmented or added to. 

Registering copyright?

In England and Wales there is not a register of copyright works. Copyright protection in principle arises automatically. This protection is offered for original piece or work. Other countries copyright laws vary from those established in England and Wales. The Berne Convention (as amended on 1979) provides for international agreements on protecting original works and pieces.

Who owns the copyright of something

There are circumstances where copyright might be held by different people for what might look essentially the same thing. For example in the picture below both the artist and the photographer of the picture own copyright same time.

The original artwork is copyrighted and can only be used with permission of the artist who created it. At the same time where a photograph is taken of the picture the photographer also requires a copyright. The picture of the original article only be used with the photographers permission.

Registering copyright?

In England and Wales there is not as such a register of copyright works. Copyright protection in principle arises automatically. This protection is offered for original piece or work. Other countries copyright laws vary from those established in England and Wales. The Berne Convention (as amended on 1979) provides for international agreements on protecting original works and pieces.