Copyright provides protection for literary, artistic and musical works. Copyright may reside in trade mark logos, designs and decoration of goods and packaging, website content, typefaces, get-up of stores, marketing material, brochures and photographs, computer software, customer lists and databases.
Copyright comes into existence automatically and lasts a long time (life of the author plus 70 years). The ownership can be complex, and most businesses do not realise that they need to take an assignment of copyright in works that they commission agencies to produce.
It is essential therefore for businesses to ensure that they own the copyright in works they use and that the details of the creator and date of creation are carefully recorded to assist with the enforcement of the rights against copying.
At MW Trade Marks we:
- Advise on the relevance of copyright to your business;
- Devise strategies for using copyright to protect your business;
- Ensure that your chain of title to your important copyright works is clear;
- Advise on licensing and exploitation of your copyright work.