Basically, copyright is the right to prevent copying, so the owner of copyright can prevent others copying his/her work. In the UK, the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended, (‘the Act’) creates a further five primary infringements of copyright in addition to copying: Issuing copies to the public. Renting or lending the work to the public. Performing, showing or play...
Songwriting & music publishing
This is a guide to UK copyright law, proving and protecting your musical ‘property’, plus earning and collecting royalties. The following is a brief overview of each of the topics covered in the guide. PDF download coming soon. What is copyright? Copyright is a ‘property’ right. This means that the owner of the right, who can be the author or any person to whom the author has ass...
Who is the owner of copyright?
The author of the work – that is the person who created the work – is the first owner of copyright in it. So as regards the music (a musical work), the composer would be first owner of copyright, and as regards lyrics (a literary work), the writer would be the first owner. The Act specifies that as regards: A sound recording – the author is the producer. A film – the authors...
This is an overview that discusses the key points surrounding an option that’s proving increasingly popular with artists, which is releasing your own product. Timing Is Everything The timing of your product release is crucial and the success of your launch will also depend on the level of promotion you can create. Aim to have your product available to journalists and DJs at least two...
