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Copyright
Copyright protects a variety of original creative works, principally artistic, literary, musical and dramatic works. Copyright arises automatically when a work is created; there is no registration system in the UK, unlike some other countries.
Copyright is a long lasting right; most types of copyright work are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years. Copyright is normally first owned by a person making the work, the main exception is where the work is made by an employee in the course of his employment. In such cases, his employer will own the copyright. Care must be taken when a third party is asked to produce work, as the third party will own the copyright unless there is agreement to the contrary.
Copyright is subject to international treaty. This means that most foreign countries will give protection to UK copyright works automatically.
Copyright only gives limited protection; this is protection from copying all or a substantial part of a work. If a work is truly independently created it cannot infringe a third party’s copyright.
We have wide experience of acting in copyright matters and, in particular, regularly advise on the difficult question of whether a sufficient amount of the copyright owner’s skill and effort has been taken so as to amount to an infringement of copyright.
Key Copyright Personnel:
Please click on the links below to find out more about the key members of our IP team