Copyright Templates

With our range of copyright templates you can manage your own copyright requirements.

Copyright

	Copyright Assignment Copyright Assignment template for use when assigning copyright in any material.	£19.95 Read more »
	Copyright Licence Our Copyright Licence template for use when you want to licence copyrighted material to another person or company.	£29.95 Read more »

Copyright

Are you unclear as to what a copyright is or what can be copyrighted? Many people confuse a copyright with a trademark. The two are definitely not the same thing. This article will discuss what a copyright is and other pertinent information. You will learn who the copyright applies to, who the owner of the copyright is, how long a copyright lasts and how to manage a copyright. If you have something you think should be copyrighted this article will give you the information you seek.

First let’s be clear on what a copyright is. A copyright can protect music, lyrics, photographs or a pattern you designed. Besides theatrical works, artistic works, and film a copyright will protect books, book layouts, sound recordings and media broadcasts. A copyright is automatic; you won’t have to apply for it as you would a trademark.

When something is copyrighted you should ask permission of the copyright owner if you can use their work. You can’t use a copyrighted work in any other genre without the permission of the owner of the copyright. Ideas are not copyrighted, but once it has been fixed in a medium then a copyright is automatic.

If you are a musician your music as a whole will have a copyright. Individual songs will be copyrighted, and the sound recordings, artwork and other parts will also have their own copyrights. Copyrights can apply to websites, the internet, software, and databases. Dance, mime, photographs and performers of the spoken word could also be protected.

Who owns the copyright? Of course, the person that created the original work would be the first owner. If you are an employee of a company that created something during the course of your employment for the company you would not be the owner of the copyright. The government changed the rules in 1989, and some works that were commissioned may be owned by the creator. Authors that collaborate on a work would each own the work.

Most of the work that has been copyrighted will stay in the owner or creator’s possession until they die, although it can also be based on what the category or type of work it is. The areas that can have different time limits would be sound recordings, broadcasts or even published editions.

When something is copyrighted there are certain economic rights that go along with it. If the owner of the copyright wants to keep the benefits they must know how to do so. When a work has been infringed upon an owner must successfully enforce the copyright. The first step could be to resolve the issue with the other party by yourself; if this doesn’t work you may have to go to court. Getting the advice of a solicitor may be the first thing you want to do before making any overtures.

Copyrights are there to protect everyone’s work from being used improperly, so now that you are informed let your creative juices start to flow. You can have peace of mind in knowing that your creation is being watched over.