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Copyright Guide: Introduction

A practical guide on copyright and licensing issues aimed at staff, students and researchers at the University of Sussex

Introduction to copyright

What can I copy? How can I use it?

Copyright gives legal protection to the creators of certain kinds of work so that they can control the way they may be exploited. Copyright law in the UK is governed by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended. Under the Act, copyright subsists in the following works:
  • Literary works, which includes song lyrics, tables, street directories and letters as well as literature in the more commonly accepted sense of the term. Computer programs are also included in the category of literary works.
  • Dramatic works, including dance and mime.
  • Musical works.
  • Artistic works, including graphic works, sculptures, maps, photographs (irrespective of artistic quality), architecture and works of artistic craftsmanship.
  • Sound recordings.
  • Films, including videos.
  • Broadcasts, including cable programmes.
  • Published editions, i.e. the typographical layout of a literary dramatic or musical work. So, the content of a recently published edition of a work written many years ago could be out of copyright, but the 'typographical arrangement' would not.

Introduction to UK copyright law

Introduction to UK copyright law video

A short video explaining the basics of UK copyright law, introducing key concepts and issues for using copyright material.

Created for the  University of Bournemouth, Centre for Intellectual Property and Policy Management (CIPPM)  by Bartolomeo Meletti with support from the Department of Law at Bournemouth University.

Duration of copyright in sound recordings

In September 2011, the EU approved a directive which will extend the copyright term for sound recordings and performers' rights in sound recordings from 50 to 70 years.  The Directive must be implemented into UK law by 1st November 2013 and the Copyright and Duration of Rights in Performance Regulations will come into force on that date.  Note that the extension of the term of protection will apply only to those sound recordings that are in copyright on 1st November 2013.  The Regulations do not have the effect of bringing back into copyright those sound recordings where copyright has expired.  Visit the Intellectual Property Office website for further information.

Disclaimer

The information contained within these pages is intended as a general guide and an interpretation of current copyright issues. It is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice.

Image

 

Copyright question mark image

Creative Commons License
Image created by Malcolm J Moore (2018) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Further guidance

Getting help

 For help with general queries about copying  from print, audiovisual or electronic publications, please email library.copyright@sussex.ac.uk