Our staff of knowledgeable copyright lawyers assists people in the creative sectors and elsewhere in protecting and remunerating their original works. The work of our copyright lawyers London team can cover protection for software code, music, books, web copy, advertising copy, video creations, movies, photographic images, graphics, and other works of art and design and can assist people looking to protect their copyright across a wide range of content mediums.
Pearl Lemon Legal's Copyright Services
The Pearl Lemon Legal copyright lawyer London team have allowed us to become a well-known copyright law practice that specializes in intellectual property. We support clients in the creative sectors and elsewhere in preventing the whole or partial duplication of their work. Music challenges, book publishing agreements, computer game publication contracts, artist resale rights, and many more copyright cases are among the cases we have handled.
Experienced legal counsel should be sought as soon as possible if you suspect that a person or organization is violating your copyright. This is especially true when sizable sums are on the line. We have assisted individuals, businesses, and public figures in protecting their creative work. In order to help you take action and defend your work, we can provide you with sound advice and support based on our experience handling numerous copyright infringement cases.
As a member of the Pearl Lemon Group, we have especially recent and pertinent knowledge of the complexities of digital copyright. As the types of content created for online audiences increases, so does the general confusion around copyright and authorized use.
We work hard to protect the copyrights of content created by Pearl Lemon Group companies, the vast majority of which is digital, and can do the same for you. Please get in touch to schedule a consultation if you need the services of an experienced copyright lawyer London.
What is Copyright?
The automatic legal right to use and reproduce one’s own unique creative work is known as copyright. Copyright prevents unauthorized reproduction or use of an owner’s creation. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988, which replaced the Copyright Act of 1956, governs copyright law in the UK.
There may not always be a clear-cut proprietor of the copyright. For instance, when a company’s employees produce original content, but the company, not the employee, is typically the copyright owner. However, if a firm commissions a third party to produce a piece of work (such as a design) on their behalf, the third party might have the copyright until the rights are transferred.
What is Covered Under Copyright?
Your original work across an increasingly large set of niches is protected by copyright, which forbids unauthorized use of it by any other person or company. You automatically receive copyright protection; you are not obliged to apply for it or pay a fee. In the UK, there is no register of works protected by copyright.
When you produce any of the following, you automatically receive copyright protection:
- Creative artwork, encompassing illustration and photography, as well as dramatic, musical, and artistic works.
- Unique non-literary texts, including computer programs, websites, video game scripts and codes and data databases .
- Recordings of music and sound, whether strictly audio or audiovisual.
- The format of published editions of written, dramatic, and musical works
This list is not exhaustive, as new content forms, and uses for content, emerge it changes. An experienced copyright lawyer London can advise you of the copyright laws as they apply to content that you have created or believe you own.
The common copyright symbol (©), your name, and the creation year can all be used to identify your work if you like, but such things are not necessary. The degree of protection you have under UK copyright law is unaffected by whether or not you mark the work. A lack of such marks is sometimes cited by those who infringe on copyrights as a defence of their actions, but such things are not a defence under the law
Are Copyright and Trademarks the Same Thing?
No. Brand names, logos, and slogans are protected by trademarks. A trade mark must be obtained through an application process because it is a registered right. Contrarily, copyright safeguards a variety of works, including expanded text, graphic creations, paintings, photos, software code, music, sculptures, and videos. At least in the UK and the EU, copyright does not require registration and instead comes into existence as soon as an original work is produced.
Copyright and trademarks are both examples of intellectual property and our copyright lawyers London can help with both if you feel they are being infringed upon, or, if you are applying for a trademark with that application.
Pearl Lemon Legal Copyright Protection Services
In the UK and Europe, copyright comes into existence automatically with the production of specific works and does not require formal registration.
There is, as we have mentioned, a widespread misconception that having the copyright symbol on something means something legally significant. Except insofar as it alerts the viewer or reader that the owner is enforcing their copyright, it doesn’t matter. In most circumstances, it is valuable and deserving of inclusion to that extent and should be something you consider doing as a matter of habit.
The owner of protected content has the right to stop others from copying or using their work due to copyright protection. It does not prevent individuals from independently creating works that are in some ways similar, but not a direct infringement.
When creating or producing new works, it is crucial to retain documentation of your creative process, as you may need them in the event of theft, misuse or copying of your content.
Software, for example, should contain “footprints,” such as a purposeful error that specifically identifies the author as you. Watermarks or comments should be present on electronic images and videos to claim ownership. Keep a complete, date-stamped record of your research whenever you work on a new project, from the initial notes on the back of an envelope to the final product.
All of the aforementioned measures will aid in defending your rights in the event of an infringement, which is where an experienced copyright lawyer, like those on the Pearl Lemon Legal team, can come in to advise.
Pearl Lemon Legal Copyright Infringement Services
A person or organization violates copyright if they completely or substantially copy your work because copyright arises immediately upon the creation of a piece of work, i.e. without going through any formal registration process. Here the term copy includes publishing it without your permission online.
Copies are often made blatantly, and a claim of copyright infringement is easily proved. However, this is not always the case in legal proceedings, especially when dealing with digital content. When you believe that someone is stealing your work, but are unsure how to prove it, or how to stop it, you should seek skilled legal counsel as quickly as you can because it can be difficult to prove copyright infringement on your own.
Numerous instances of both clear and unclear copyright infringement have been handled very successfully by our copyright lawyers London. We can offer perspective on the legal procedure, evaluate the opposition and the potential loss, and suggest the best enforcement action to safeguard your brand, your content and your reputation and earning potential.
We can also analyse and provide advice on your case if you have received a copyright infringement letter, which means that someone else thinks you have violated their copyright. We can oversee your legal defence if you have a solid case against the charge, or attempt to broker an alternative dispute resolution solution that will resolve the issue at minimal cost to you, both financially and in terms of your reputation.
At Pearl Lemon Legal, we believe that content creators – and we know a lot of those – should be able to create, publish and disseminate their original work – whether that’s the code for a video game, the copy for a website, an original song, a YouTube video or those amazing Instagram images you are so proud of – without fear that their copyright is being infringed upon and others are benefitting from their hard work illegally.
If you have any copyright concerns, or are facing an infringement of copyright claim you feel is false or unjust, contact one of our copyright lawyers London today.
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