Copyright
An automatic intellectual property right protecting original literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. No registration required in the UK. Lasts for the author's life plus 70 years (Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988).
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Unlike patents or trade marks, copyright needs no application: 'You get copyright protection automatically - you do not have to apply or pay a fee. There is not a register of copyright works in the UK.' It attaches the moment a qualifying work is created, and official guidance lists the categories covered, including 'original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography', 'original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases', and 'sound and music recordings'. Marking a work with the © symbol is optional: 'Whether you mark the work or not does not affect the level of protection you have.'
The right gives the owner a bundle of exclusive controls. Guidance explains that copyright 'prevents people from: copying your work; distributing copies of it, whether free of charge or for sale; renting or lending copies of your work; performing, showing or playing your work in public; making an adaptation of your work; putting it on the internet' without permission. Protection is not confined to the UK: 'Your work could be protected by copyright in other countries through international agreements, for example the Berne Convention', though the guidance notes duration can differ abroad — 'in most countries copyright lasts a minimum of life plus 50 years for most types of written, dramatic and artistic works, and at least 25 years for photographs.'
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.