Copyright Protection
Justice Agency for Intellectual Property – JAIP Services – Copyright Protection
Overview
Copyright protects your work and prevents others from using it without your permission.
You get copyright protection automatically – you don’t have to apply or pay a fee. There is no register of copyright works in the UK.
You get copyright protection automatically when you create:
Original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustrations and photography
Original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases
Sound recordings and music
Cinema and television recordings
Broadcasting
Layouts of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works
You can mark your work with the copyright symbol (©), your name and the year it was created. Whether or not you mark your work does not affect your level of protection.
How Copyright Protects Your Work
Copyright prevents people from:
Copying your work
Distributing copies of it, either for free or for sale
Renting or lending copies of your work
Performing, displaying or playing your work in public places
Making an adaptation of your work
Putting it online
Copyright internationally
Your work can be protected by copyright in other countries through international agreements, for example the Berne Convention.
In most countries, copyright lasts a minimum life of 50 years for most types of written, dramatic and artistic works, and at least 25 years for photographs. It can be different for other types of work.
How long does copyright last?
Copyright protection begins as soon as you create the work. Once your copyright expires, anyone can use or copy your work.
The length of copyright depends on the type of work.
| work nature | How long does copyright usually last? |
| Written, dramatic, musical and artistic work | 70 years since the death of the author |
| Recording audio and music | 70 years since its first publication |
| films | 70 years after the death of the director, screenwriter and composer |
| Broadcast | 50 years since it first aired |
| Design of published editions of written, dramatic or musical works. | 25 years from the date of its first publication |
The length of copyright also depends on how long ago the work was created.
You can read more guidelines about how long copyright lasts .
Licensing and selling your copyright
You can license your work if you own the copyright. You can also decide how your work is used.
You can register your work with a licensing body, for example, ASAS Foundation, who will agree licences with users for you and collect royalties on your behalf.
Selling or transferring your copyright
You will need to write and sign a document (sometimes called an ‘assignment’) to show that a sale or transfer has taken place.
Your copyright can be passed on by inheritance and will remain in effect for as long as the work remains protected by copyright – check the duration of the protection.
Moral rights
You can retain or waive your ‘moral rights’, which include the right to:
Be identified as the author of your work
Object to how the work is presented, for example if you think it is ‘derogatory’ or harmful to you or your reputation
Object to changes made to your work
Rights of performers
You have rights to your performances that are separate from the copyright if you are an artist.
For example, if you are an actor in a play, you may have “economic rights” in any recordings or broadcasts of your performance, even if the copyright is sold.
You are responsible for defending your copyright against infringement.
Some people or organizations (such as libraries or schools) may be able to use copyrighted works without permission. You should check whether someone’s use of your work is permitted before trying to stop it.
If you think someone is using your work and doesn’t know you own the rights
People or organizations should apply for a license if they want to use a copyrighted work but don’t know who the rights holder is.
Check the licensing register to see if anyone has licensed your work or is in the process of applying for a license. If your work is registered in the register, you can:
Apply for a stop to the application
Claim the license fees that have been paid
This process is done through the members community of the Justice Agency for Intellectual Property. Apply for membership of the Arab Agency for Intellectual Property
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