Copyright

Here you'll find basic information on copyright law – e.g. how long it last and who owns it – as well as some of the more challenging issues such as the protection of digital content.

OUT-LAW Guides (UK law)

• Copyright law: the basics
  Copyright gives the author of certain types of material rights to control the use or commercial exploitation of the work that he or she has created. This articles explores this.
• Britain's implementation of the Copyright Directive
  This article outlines the main provisions of the Directive, identifies areas that caused the biggest difficulties for the legislators and also seeks to highlight some of the practical consequences of the Directive.
• Control and exploitation of copyright material online
  The simplicity of copying material found on the internet has fuelled the myth that there is nothing wrong with doing so. Here we explore the myth and the reality.
• Database rights: the basics
  This basic guide explains the circumstances in which protection will arise and sets out some practical steps designed to make the most of any rights that exist.
• Legal protection for databases: case report
  A brief recap of database rights and the effects of the British Horseracing Board and Fixtures Marketing cases.
• Copyright restrictions increased: the effect on education
  In October 2003, UK copyright law was amended. A number of activities that were previously permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 are no longer. Many of the restrictions will impact on the practices of educational establishments.
• File sharing after Napster
• New photocopying regulations: The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2004
  Changes to copyright law have affected your right to photocopy without infringing someone's copyright, therefor you should assess your photocopying habits and establish whether you require a licence for photocopying.
• The war against P2P
• Mashups: the legal issues
  Make sure you have permission before you try a mashup.
• Podcasting: the legal issues
  It's hard to use popular music in podcasts right now without a big budget.
• Unwitting infringements and the law
  Sometimes a company infringes another company's rights without realising it – so intellectual property laws distinguish deliberate theft and innocent infringement. Different rules apply to different types of intellectual property.

Recent OUT-LAW News

• ISP did not authorise customers' copyright infringement, says Australian court
• European Parliament vetoes telecoms reform, demands court order for ISP disconnection
• German court finds parent liable for child's file-sharing
• Government refuses to publish ACTA documents
• Nominet gives registrars right to cancel names on allegations of criminality

Contact one of our lawyers

Our copyright and trade mark specialists are highly rated. The March 2005 edition of Managing Intellectual Property Magazine identified Pinsent Masons as one of the top law firms in the UK for copyright and trade mark work.

Whether you need help with the law, with licensing or with an infringement dispute, feel free to get in touch to see how we can help.

John Mackenzie
Biography
email John
+44 (0) 131 225 0019

Kim Walker
Biography
email Kim
+44 (0) 207 490 6453

Useful links

Warning: The links below are to legislation, some of which may be out of date. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988 in particualar has been amended many times, but when you follow the link to HMSO's website you will not see the end result of all these amendments. So be careful before relying on what you read.

• Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003
• Copyright, etc. and Trade Marks (Offences and Enforcement) Act 2002
• Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997
• Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988
• Copyright Directive 2001
• Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Bill
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998 (US law)
• Directive on Legal Protection of Databases 1996
• Directive on Legal Protection of Designs