How copyright protects your work

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1. Overview

Copyright protects your work and stops others from using it without your permission.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You get copyright protection automatically - you do not have to apply or pay a fee. There is not a register of copyright works in the UK.

You automatically get copyright protection when you create:

  • original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography
  • original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases
  • sound and music recordings
  • film and television recordings
  • broadcasts
  • the layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works

You can mark your work with the copyright symbol (©), your name and the year of creation. Whether you mark the work or not does not affect the level of protection you have.

Copyright prevents people from:

  • copying your work
  • distributing copies of it, whether free of charge or for sale
  • renting or lending copies of your work
  • performing, showing or playing your work in public
  • making an adaptation of your work
  • putting it on the internet

Your work could be protected by copyright in other countries through international agreements, for example .

In most countries copyright lasts a minimum of life plus 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.

Contact the IPO Customer Support Centre if you have a question about international copyright.

IPO Customer Support Centre
information@ipo.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 2000
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

2. How long copyright lasts

Copyright protection starts as soon as a work is created. Once your copyright has expired, anyone can use or copy your work.

The length of copyright depends on the type of work.

Type of work How long copyright usually lasts
Written, dramatic, musical and artistic work 70 years after the author바카라 사이트™s death
Sound and music recording 70 years from when it바카라 사이트™s first published
Films 70 years after the death of the director, screenplay author and composer
Broadcasts 50 years from when it바카라 사이트™s first broadcast
Layout of published editions of written, dramatic or musical works 25 years from when it바카라 사이트™s first published

The length of copyright also depends on how long ago the work was created.

You can read more guidance about how long copyright lasts.

Contact the IPO Customer Support Centre if you have questions about the copyright of an older work.

IPO Customer Support Centre
information@ipo.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 2000
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

3. License and sell your copyright

You can license the use of 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 a collecting society, who will agree licences with users for you and collect royalties for you.

You바카라 사이트™ll need to write and sign a document (sometimes called an 바카라 사이트˜assignment바카라 사이트™) to show a sale or transfer has taken place.

Your copyright can be transferred by inheritance and will be valid as long as the work remains in copyright - check how long protection lasts.

Moral rights

You can keep or waive your 바카라 사이트˜moral rights바카라 사이트™, 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 it바카라 사이트™s 바카라 사이트˜derogatory바카라 사이트™ or damaging to you or your reputation
  • object to changes made to your work

Performers바카라 사이트™ rights

You have rights in your performances separate to copyright if you바카라 사이트™re a performer.

For example, if you바카라 사이트™re an actor in a play you may have 바카라 사이트˜economic rights바카라 사이트™ in any recordings or broadcasts of their performance, even if the copyright is sold.

4. Stop people using your work

You바카라 사이트™re responsible for defending your copyright material against infringement.

Some people or organisations (such as libraries or schools) may be able to use copyright work without permission. You should check whether someone바카라 사이트™s use of your work is permitted before trying to stop them.

If you think someone is using your work and they don바카라 사이트™t know you own the rights

People or organisations must apply for a licence if they want to use a work that바카라 사이트™s covered by copyright but do not know who the rights holder is.

Check the to see if anyone has licensed your work or is in the process of applying for a licence. If your work is on the register you can:

  • apply to have an application stopped
  • claim the licence fee that바카라 사이트™s been paid (if a licence has already been issued)

If you have a dispute about licensing

Your collecting society can contact the and ask them to decide on some disputes about licensing.

Copyright Tribunal
copyright.tribunal@ipo.gov.uk
Telephone: 01633 814 044
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

They can also contact them by post.

The Secretary
Copyright Tribunal
10 Victoria Street
London
SW1H ONN

The IPO Customer Support Centre offers general advice on copyright law.

IPO Customer Support Centre
information@ipo.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 2000
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

You can get advice on particular legal issues from an intellectual property (IP) professional.

You can also

They might publish a public 바카라 사이트˜copyright notice바카라 사이트™ if your question highlights a gap in the general copyright guidance.