Copyright law

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1. Introduction / overview of the UK laws 

When someone creates any types of works, copyright is automatically granted by law, so long as the work is original (i.e., not directly copied or altered from an existing work) and shows some level of labor, skill, or judgment in its creation.

The 'first owner of copyright' is the person or group who created the work and is typically referred to as the exclusive owner of the work. On the other hand, if a work is made as part of a job, the employer of the creator will typically be the first owner of the work (Introduction to Copyright 2023)

Unless there is a specific agreement to the contrary, the author of a piece of work, whether it is freelance or commissioned, will normally own it (Introduction to Copyright 2023).

2. How does copyright protects your work?

    Copyright refers to a collection of "exclusive" rights that grant authors the authority to manage how their work is used and make money from it. In copyright law, the word "exclusive" signifies the owner's authority to forbid third parties from exploiting their creations without their consent.(Bart, 2022)

3. How do i copyright my work?

  An idea is protected by copyright as soon as it is recorded, such as when a story's outline is written down. Copyright protection is automatically applied as long as the work is original. Copyright guarantees that materials cannot be duplicated or utilized without your consent. It follows that you can make money off of your creation. (Copyright basics for writers, nd)

4. How long does copyright lasts?

   In the UK copyright generally expires 70 years after the death of the creator for written, artistic, musical and film work. However, for broadcasts it is 50 years from when the broadcast is made whilst for sound recordings and performers’ rights in sound recordings the term has been extended to 70 years from publication. (Bart, 2017)

5. How can i stop people using your work?

   It is your responsibility as the author, owner, or possessor of the copyrighted content to use your legal rights to prevent further infringement. Perhaps the simplest and most popular way to prevent copyright infringement is to send the guilty party a so-called Copyright Infringement Notice directly. (Jonathan Layton, 2023)

References

Bart (2017) 2. how long does copyright last?, CopyrightUser. Available at: https://www.copyrightuser.org/faqs/question-2/ (Accessed: 31 October 2023). 

Jonathan Layton, J.D. (no date) How to avoid copyright infringement, Legalzoom. Available at: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-avoid-copyright-infringement (Accessed: 31 October 2023).

Copyright basics for writers (no date) ALCS. Available at: https://www.alcs.co.uk/knowledge/copyright-basics-for-writers/#:~:text=How%20do%20I%20register%20copyright,or%20used%20without%20your%20permission. (Accessed: 31 October 2023).

Bart (2022) Protecting, CopyrightUser. Available at: https://www.copyrightuser.org/understand/rights-permissions/protecting/#:~:text=Copyright%20is%20a%20set%20of,work%20without%20first%20getting%20permission. (Accessed: 31 October 2023).

Introduction to copyright (no date) UK Copyright Service. Available at: https://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/copyright (Accessed: 31 October 2023).