copyright

[royzart]

Hi...does anybody know how i could copyright
a piece of artwork before submission

[Billy_Sugger]

http://www.startanart...otecting-artwork.html

[Buenchico]

Anyone who creates an original work automatically holds the copyright in that work. (There are certain exceptions, particularly related to works created in the course of a person's employment, but they don't appear to be relevant here). Consequently there's no system for registering copyright.

If you're seriously concerned that someone might infringe your copyright there are various ways of providing yourself with some protection. One of the simplest is to photograph your work and post the pictures to yourself, in a sealed envelope (of a type which can't be opened without it being obvious that the seal has been broken), by recorded delivery (and, of course, retaining the dated proof of posting showing the tracking number of the letter). In the extremely unlikely event that you ever had to produce evidence that your work was produced earlier than a subsequent copy, you could produce the (still sealed) envelope bearing the tracking number, together with the proof of posting to show when you put it in the mail.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy.htm

Chris

[Mosaic]

Buenchico's advice is spot on - easily proveable a nd totally affordable. Had to giggle though re. his point about stuff written in work's time, as I well recall the £14m paid by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Churchill papers........

One last thought - copyright is only as good as the steps you take to defend it. If you lack the means of defending expensive cases, then take the initial steps of cautiously revealing your work rather than trying to prevent its later theft.

[magicmerlin]

If you take the photograph using a digital camera the file will have the date & time it was created. No need to post.

[rojash]

"If you take the photograph using a digital camera the file will have the date & time it was created. No need to post. "
And what's to prove that you didn't just adjust the date on the camera before taking the picture?

[Wak]

If you do decide to copyright your artwork then this may help,
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/?r=gotx
I obtained copyright for a book in 2006. The digital .DOC file was sent to the Registration Service (as above) and is stored with them for 7 years. The cost at that time was £35 and you receive the Registration Certificates in due course. I think a renewal of the copyright after the 7 years would be £20 but the prices may have changed since then.

[society]

"Buenchico's advice is spot on"

Buenchico's advice is ALWAYS spot on. :-)

[another-view]

The "post a copy to yourself" method is known as poor mans's copyright and has NO legal protection. Urban myth.