Re: Summer issue | Page 58

Copying Our policy is as individual as you. What we do... Personal Insurance / High Net Worth Household / Household Buildings & Contents / Private Car / Commercial Vehicle We also do... / Annual Travel / Boat & Yachts / Business from Home / Buy to Let Property / Holiday Homes / Motor Cycle / Personal Accident & Sickness 1 Oak House, Woodlands Court, Albert Drive, Burgess Hill West Sussex RH15 9TN 58 Business Insurance / Agriculture / Business Travel / Construction / Haulage & Distribution / Hospitality & Catering / Leisure / Public/Products Liability / Employers Liability / Professional Indemnity / Manufacturing / Motor Trade / Motor Fleet / Professional Services / Property Owners / Public Sector / Retailers & Wholesalers / Waste Management E: [email protected] T: 01444 810 088 F: 01444 243 210 @bennettxmas www.bennettchristmas.com & Copyright The Brighton Festival is always great and I enjoyed visiting the artists’ open houses, especially the one with my mother’s artwork! There is always plenty of theatre, music, arts and literature on offer in the city and thousands of people get to enjoy them. However, with this showcase of creative work, there is also the scope for other people to copy and make money from your work without your consent. Many people rely on the money they receive from selling their work as their main income and so it is worth protecting. Their reputation and legacy would also be affected if their work was copied by others, especially if they were inferior copies! A piece of work has automatic copyright protection, and there is no official registration. It is an asset which can be owned and protected. Copyright applies to original musical, typographical, artistic and lyrical works, as well as broadcasts and recordings. It protects the way an idea is presented, rather than an idea itself. Therefore artwork, songs, music, films and their broadcasting are all automatically protected, amongst other works. An artist, writer or musician who discovers his work has been copied and put up for sale would be able to use their copyright protection to stop the copied works. At other times, a stronger approach is needed and we can take that action on your behalf. There are several steps that you can take to protect your work. You can use the © symbol (followed by the owner’s name and date) when you publish your work. This would make it harder to copy and warn people that there is copyright attached. If there has been an infringement, you can take action against the infringers in order to stop any further copying, seek compensation or to seize the copied goods. On the other side, if you have been accused of copyright infringement you should also consider your situation carefully and seek advice. If you have not copied the work, you can defend yourself and prevent further accusations. If you have copied the work, you may need help in negotiating a settlement to end the matter. Fortunately I just happen to know a specialist lawyer in this area... By Miranda Jenkins In order to take action to protect your copyright, you have to be able to prove that you are the owner, that the work is original and that it has been recorded in some format. You should keep a record and evidence of the recording and the date, so that you can prove this. Getting good advice from a legal professional is important, and here at Mayo Wynne Baxter we have a specialist Media and Creative Industries team who can discuss your options and advise you. Often the matter can be sorted out simply and through correspondence or negotiation, without going to court. 59