The Basics

Intellectual property (IP) is any form of original creation that can be bought or sold - from music to machinery. The four main types of IP rights are: 

  1. Patents
  2. Trademarks
  3. Designs
  4. Copyright

There are many other ways to protect your IP, see the IPO website, link below. 

More on copyright

Copyright can protect:

  • literary works, including novels, instruction manuals, computer programs, song lyrics, newspaper articles and some types of database
  • dramatic works, including dance or mime
  • musical works
  • artistic works, including paintings, engravings, photographs, sculptures, collages, architecture, technical drawings, diagrams, maps and logos
  • layouts or typographical arrangements used to publish a work, for a book for instance
  • recordings of a work, including sound and film
  • broadcasts of a work

You should only copy or use a work protected by copyright with the copyright owner's permission. Copyright applies to any medium. This means that you must not reproduce copyright protected work in another medium without permission. This includes, publishing photographs on the internet, making a sound recording of a book, a painting of a photograph and so on.Copyright does not protect ideas for a work.  It is only when the work itself is fixed, for example in writing, that copyright automatically protects it. This means that you do not have to apply for copyright.A copyright protected work can have more than one copyright, or another intellectual property (IP) right, connected to it.  For example, an album of music can have separate copyrights for individual songs, sound recordings, artwork, and so on.  Whilst copyright can protect the artwork of your logo, you could also register the logo as a trade mark. 

The law of copyright and its related rights in the UK can be downloaded below:

Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) - PDF (1.27Mb)

Copyright is automatic once a work has been set down or fixed in some way. However, if challenged, you still need to prove that you created the work. It is usually the creator of the original work who owns the copyright unless this work was produced under a normal contract of employment, under which the employer usually owns the copyright. Copyright lasts for different times depending on what has been created:

  1. Business documents: lifetime of the employee who drafted the material plus 70 years
  2. Literary, musical, artistic and dramatic works: author’s lifetime plus 70 years
  3. Films: 70 years after the death of all the directors, composers, authors
  4. Broadcast materials: 50 years from the first broadcast
  5. Publishing: Publisher’s right covers elements such as typographical layout which lasts for 25 years

 Intellectual Property Information on the web

There is a wealth of information about all aspects of IP available on the web. Here are some useful links. 
  • www.ipo.gov.uk
    The government’s Intellectual property site. 
  • www.the-key.biz
    The Patent Office’s website with advice and events about copyright. 
  • www.own-it.org
    Intellectual property advice from Creative London including info and resources online, seminars in London, and in the north of England. 
  • www.businesslink.org
    Help and advice on starting and running a business, copyright info and useful links. 
  • www.dacs.org.uk
    The Design and Artists Copyright Society - manage members' copyright, negotiating terms and collecting fees on their behalf. 
  • www.fact-uk.org.uk
    Federation Against Copyright Theft - active against piracy in the UK and US film and TV industries. 
  • www.acid.uk.com
    Anti Copying in Design Ltd. Action Group – a membership trade organisation who are committed to fight copyright theft. 
  • www.intelproplaw.com
    Intellectual Property Law Server with information about intellectual property law including patent, trademark and copyright. 
  • www.all-legal-matters.co.uk
    Includes information and a listing of registration agencies. 
  • www.prospectip.co.uk
    A project based at De Montfort University supporting people to make money from their intellectual property. 
  • www.ga-uk.org
    Trade body for the UK gift and home industry has a service called GA copywatch providing design registration and protection.