Copyright Law - what you need to know
Do you want to use the value of your creative assets to grow your business?
Do you want to prevent other people from taking advantage of those creative assets without paying you?
Understanding and using valuable copyright law advice from a legal expert can help you do this.
At LawBite, our copyright lawyers are well-versed in providing copyright legal advice for copyright matters in various industries. These include identifying what copyright protected works subsist in your business, who owns them and whether they are adequately protected. Our copyright solicitors also deal with contentious issues, including:
- Investigating suspected infringement
- Advising on the tests for determining what amounts to copying
- Explaining where the line is drawn between legal inspiration and illegal copying
- When and how the defences and fair dealing exceptions apply in the context of infringement claims.
Where you need to transfer ownership of copyright to or from another party, or simply put in place a contractual right to use a copyright work, our copyright lawyers can draft copyright assignments and licence and royalty agreement to help you generate maximum revenue. As well as drafting copyright notices/disclaimers and online copyright notice and take-down policies, our copyright solicitors also handle cease and desist letters and general infringement actions and have a strong record of success.
Copyright law will not necessarily protect all creative works. For instance, it wouldn’t protect ideas, names or short phrases / taglines, so if a work doesn’t meet the requirements for fixation or originality then our commercially minded team of copyright lawyers can advise how else to protect these works.
Our Copyright Lawyers Provide Legal Advice for your Business
Copyright is the legal right of a creator to prevent other people from copying things that they create. The types of creative work that have copyright under English law are set out in a statute called the Copyright Designs and Patents Act, 1988 (or CDPA). Copyright can apply to a wide range of creations, such as:
- Photos
- Films
- Documents
- Articles
- Games
- ‘How to’ guides
- Audio
- Databases
- Designs
- Compilations
- Artwork
- Methodologies
- Surveys
- Software
Many businesses own far more copyrights than they realise. It is important to know what copyrights your business has in relation to the work you create for your brand - our copyright lawyers are here to provide you with copyright law advice at every step.
Why is Copyright important?
Copyright protects your work or branding and prevents other people or businesses from using it without permission. It is important for many reasons, including:
- Helping you protect the value of what you create and stop other people from stealing it;
- Adding to the value of your company
- Making it easier to raise investment
- Helping you create revenue streams from licensing or exploiting your copyrights
What can be copyrighted in the UK?
Copyrighting can be used for various works:
- Original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work (might include illustration and photography)
- Original written work such as software and web content
- Music recordings and sound recordings
- Film and television recordings
- Broadcasts
- The layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works
- Branding
What are you not allowed to copyright?
Copyright does not protect all works. It wouldn’t protect ideas, methods names or short phrases / taglines. As a business owner, you’ll want to have an understanding of what you can and cannot copyright with regards to your business and our expert copyright lawyers are on hand to help you with this.
How can our Copyright Solicitors help?
Our copyright solicitors can provide you with legal advice on copyright matters and help you quickly and cost-effectively to:
- Work out which copyrights you own or could own
- Provide copyright legal advice on how to protect your assets
- Help you maximise the commercial potential of your copyright
- Help you avoid infringing other people's copyright
LawBite - Smarter Business Law
We believe that great legal copyright advice is a fundamental business right. We are committed to providing your business with expert legal advice that is:
- Easier to access
- Clearer to understand
- More affordable
Many businesses find traditional law cumbersome and complex, difficult to navigate and often full of hidden charges. Therefore, it is no surprise that SMEs instinctively turn to LawBite to solve their business legal problems, giving us a 98% service rating on feefo.
LawBite online lawyers and online solicitors provide expert legal advice on all commercial and business matters. Book a no-commitment 15-minute call with our friendly lawyers today, join LawBite for free or
make an enquiry to learn more.
