Although there is no copyright protection for ideas for a work per se, once they are fixed in any medium whether on canvas, paper or in electronic form, they are automatically protected by copyright. The Copyright and Designs and Patents Act 1988 affords protection to literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works in their various formats.

Literary Works

Includes books, magazines, newspapers, song lyrics and computer programs.

Dramatic Works

Includes plays, sketches, scripts and dance routines.

Musical Works

Scores, song sheets, hymns etc.

Artistic Works

Includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, as well as photographs computer graphics, logos , maps architectural plans etc.

Copyright protection applies to all of the above in any medium whether recorded, broadcast, played live or published on the internet. It should also be noted that some works e.g music CD’s with artwork on their covers may be subject to more than one copyright protection.

Basically copyright protection extends during the author or composer’s lifetime and for seventy years thereafter.   Films and other media for seventy years from first release (Early Walt Disney).   Interestingly copyright in the typographical layout of published editions of books remains protected for twenty five years even though the author may be long dead.   For example, Jane Austen died in 1817 but the printed text of an edition of “Pride and Prejudice” published in 2002 will remain in copyright until 2027 and a video version of the BBC series released in 1999 will be protected until 2069.

Fortunately, the legislators of the 1988 Act recognised that the special needs of education and licensing schemes administered by Highland Council give schools more leeway, so most school activities using copyright material can still take place.   But we must be sure that we do not abuse these privileges.

The EU Directive on Copyright introduced a two-tier system of commercial and non-commercial copying in public and community libraries with fees being introduced for commercial copying. But we must be sure that we do not abuse these privileges by always ensuring that we have permission to copy before starting on any project involving published material.