Copyright has been enshrined in Common Law since 1709, but became statutory with the passing of the Copyright Act 1911. The current act is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This grants the creators of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, broadcasts, films and typographical arrangement of published editions, rights to control the ways in which their material may be used. These rights cover; broadcast and public performance, copying, adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public. In many cases, the creator will also have the right to be identified as the author and to object to distortions of his work.
Copyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work. To qualify, a work should be regarded as original, and exhibit a degree of labour, skill or judgement. Work that expresses an idea may be protected, but the idea behind it may not be able to be protected.
The duration of copyright on musical works is 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies. If the author is unknown, copyright will last for 70 years from end of the calendar year in which the work was created, although if it is made available to the public during that time, (by publication, authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.), then the duration will be 70 years from the end of the year that the work was first made available.
Only the owner of the copyright, or their exclusive licensee can bring proceedings in the courts.
... continued in next post