| Content only version |
Copyright: General InformationContents:
What is copyright?The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 is designed to protect the creator of original work from either moral or economic exploitation. It prevents anyone other than the copyright owner copying, publishing, adapting or performing a work, except under special circumstances. What material is covered by copyright?
Does an item have to have a © to be registered?No, in fact there is no formal process for registering copyright. Who owns the copyright?Initially, the economic rights are held by the author, but they may be assigned (eg to a publisher) or sold. Copyright for works created as part of employment is held by the employer, unless a contract of employment or other agreement specifies otherwise. For how long is an item protected by copyright?Normally, a work is protected for 70 years from the end of the year in which the author dies. However, there are different rules for sound recordings, films, computer programs, computer-generated works, databases, official publications, unpublished and anonymous works. What rights are protected?Economic rights are designed to protect a copyright holder from being disadvantaged financially. These are the rights that are concerned with copying, and are the main focus of these pages. Moral rights are also protected under the Copyright Act. These include the right to be identified as the author (or director) of a work; the right to object to derogatory use of a work; the right not to allow false attribution; the right for commissioners of photographs not to have those photographs made public. |
|
|
About the University / Courses / Academic Centres / Research / Academic Support / Facilities and Resources / Business Services Community Engagement / News and Events / Future Students / International Students / Student Portal / Staff / Alumni / Careers Advisers and Teachers |
||
