Libraries and leisure

Copyright and the arts

Copyright is a right granted to creators under law. Copyright in all artistic works is established from the moment of creation, the only qualification required is that the work must be original.

There is no registration system in the UK. Copyright comes into operation automatically and lasts for the lifetime of the creator plus a period of 70 years from the end of the year in which he or she died. The current legislation which covers copyright in the UK is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended.

The copyright owner has the exclusive right to authorise the reproduction of a work in any medium by any other party. Permission is usually granted in return for a fee, which enables the artist to derive some income from the use of his or her work by others.

This information is from the Design and Artists Copyright Society website www.dacs.co.uk