Intellectual Property

5. Copyright

Copyright protects the creators of original text, artwork, recordings, films and computer programs, whether published or not.

5.1 Copyright is automatic.

• You control the rights to copy, perform, broadcast or adapt your material. Limited use of the material without your permission is still allowed for private study, for reviews and for teaching in schools.
• Copyright for literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works, and computer programs, lasts for 70 years after the author's death. Copyright for other material lasts 25, 50 or 70 years.
• Under international conventions, copyright covers most countries.

5.2 Copyright can be difficult to enforce.

• Adding the copyright symbol © or the words 'copyright - all rights reserved' and your name and the year of creation to the material is not required. But it can be a useful way of emphasising that copyright exists, and it is essential in some countries.
• Keeping copies of the work originally created, and dated records of disclosures to other people, is important.
• Proving that a different (adapted) work is a breach of your copyright can be difficult.