I got this from a website found on Google, i have highlighted all the key information needed or useful to me.
Benefits of copyright protection
Copyright is essentially a private right. You, the copyright owner must decide how to exploit your copyright work and how to enforce your copyright. A copyright owner can decide whether or not there will be any use of the copyright work falling within the scope of the economic rights and, if so, whether he or she will use the copyright work and/or license one or more other people to use the work.
A copyright owner can also benefit from copyright by selling or agreeing a transfer of copyright to someone else.
Many of the options available to a copyright owner will involve contractual agreements which may be just as important as the rights provided by copyright law. The right contractual agreement can minimise the chances of a dispute over use of your copyright work.
As a copyright owner, you may also like to consider the benefis of belonging to an organisation representing copyright owners in your area.
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy/c-claim/c-benefit.htm
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Copyright applies to…Photographs
Photographs, digital or on film, are protected by copyright as artistic works. The exact rules relating to copyright in photographs vary according to the law which was in place at the time the photograph was taken.
Ownership
- Photographs taken before 1 January 1945
- Photographs taken on or after 1 January 1945 but before 1 August 1989
- Photographs taken after 1 August 1989
Duration
- Photographs taken before 1 January 1945
- Photographs taken between 1945 and 1996
- Photographs taken on or after 1 January 1996
If you wish to use or copy copyright protected photographs you may need the permission for the rights holder, unless copyright exceptions apply.
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Photographs taken on or after 1 January 1996
Photographs have the same term of protection as all other artistic works. Therefore, the term of protection is generally life of the author (generally the photographer) plus 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the author dies.
Unknown Authorship
If, however, the photograph is of unknown authorship, the copyright term is:
- 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the photograph was made (i.e. taken); or,
- 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the photograph is made available to the public if this happens during the period of 70 years from making.
It is important to note, though, that a photograph cannot be of unknown authorship if the identity of the author is once known and, if at any point the identity of the author becomes known, the life plus 70 year term applies.
Where a photograph is taken jointly by two or more people, the copyright term is calculated from the death of the last to die or the last known author to die.
Where the photograph has its origin outside the UK or another country of the EEA, the term of protection may also be shorter if it is shorter in the country of origin.
