Using and enforcing your copyright

Using your copyright

As a copyright owner you have the right to decide whether and how your copyright work is used.  This may be by granting a licence to allow others to use your work or marketing your work yourself to try to gain rewards for your efforts.

Enforcing your copyright

This section contains details of how to enforce copyright when somebody uses your work without your permission.

Alternative Dispute Resolution / Mediation

Mediation is another route that we actively encourage. It is another way that parties can resolve their dispute.

Organisations representing copyright owners

Many groups of copyright owners are represented by a collecting society. A collecting society will be able to agree licences with users on behalf of owners and will collect any royalties the owners are owed. In many cases a collecting society will offer a blanket licence for all the works by owners it represents, for example for music to be played in a shop or restaurant.

There are many collecting societies who operate for various types of copyright material:

·          Music and sound recordings

·          Printed material

·          Artistic works and characters

·          Broadcast material

·          TV listings

·          Film

For more in depth information please follow this Link http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c-manage/c-useenforce.htm