Copyright Legislation

Copyright Legislation

The current copyright legislation in the UK is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. It gives the creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works the right to control the ways in which their material may be used.

The EU copyright legislation is a set of eleven directives and two regulations, which harmonize the essential rights of authors and of performers, producers, and broadcasters. Many of the EU directives reflect Member States' obligations under the Berne Convention and the Rome Convention, as well as the obligations of the EU and its Member States under the World Trade Organisation 'TRIPS' Agreement and the two 1996 World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Internet Treaties (the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty).

Copyright legislation in the U.S. is governed by federal statute, namely the Copyright Act of 1976. The Copyright Act prevents the unauthorized copying of a work of authorship. However, only the copying of the work is prohibited anyone may copy the ideas contained within a work. Copyrights can be registered in the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress, but newly created works do not need to be registered. However, the Copyright Act does provide additional benefits to those who register with the Copyright Office.

copyright your work to protect your work.