Ownership
and
duration
of
copyright
The
general
rule is
that the
author
is the
first
owner of
copyright
in a
literary,
dramatic,
musical
or
artistic
work. In
the case
of
films,
the
principal
director
and the
film
producer
are
joint
authors
and
first
owners
of
copyright.
The main
exception
is where
a work
or film
is made
in the
course
of
employment,
in which
case the
employer
owns the
copyright.
The
copyright
in sound
recordings,
broadcasts
and
published
editions
generally
belongs
to the
record
producer,
broadcaster
or
publisher.
Do I
need to
register
copyright?
No.
Copyright
protection
in the
UK is
automatic
and
there is
no
registration
system -
so there
are no
forms to
fill in
and no
fees to
pay.
Can
copyright
be
transferred
to
someone
else?
Yes.
Copyright
is a
form of
intellectual
property
and,
like
physical
property,
can be
bought
and
sold,
inherited
or
otherwise
transferred.
A
transfer
of
ownership
may
cover
all or
only
some of
the
rights
to which
a
copyright
owner is
entitled.
First or
subsequent
copyright
owners
can
choose
to
license
others
to use
their
works
whilst
retaining
ownership
themselves.
But
if I own
something,
doesn`t
that
make me
the
copyright
owner?
No.
Copyright
exists
independently
of the
medium
on which
a work
is
recorded.
So if,
say, you
have
bought
or
inherited
a
painting,
you only
own any
copyright
in it if
that
also has
been
transferred
to you.
How
long
does UK
copyright
last?
Copyright
in a
literary,
dramatic,
musical
or
artistic
work
(including
a
photograph)
lasts
until 70
years
after
the
death of
the
author.
The
duration
of
copyright
in a
film is
70 years
after
the
death of
the last
to
survive
of the
principal
director,
the
authors
of the
screenplay
and
dialogue,
and the
composer
of any
music
specially
created
for the
film.
Sound
recordings
are
generally
protected
for 50
years
from the
year of
publication.
Broadcasts
are
protected
for 50
years
and
published
editions
are
protected
for 25
years.
For
copyright
works
created
outside
the UK
or
another
country
of the
European
Economic
Area,
the term
of
protection
may be
shorter.
There
may also
be
differences
for
works
created
before 1
January
1996.
Is
there
any
protection
after
copyright
expires?
If a
literary,
dramatic,
musical
or
artistic
work or
film for
which
the
copyright
has
expired
has
never
been
made
available
to the
public,
it may
be
protected
by
publication
right.
This is
granted
automatically
to the
first
person
to make
a
relevant
work or
film
available
to the
public
within
the
European
Economic
Area,
lasts
for 25
years
from the
time of
making
available,
and
gives
rights
broadly
similar
to those
given by
copyright. |
