Copyright is central to the exploitation of intellectual capital in technology based companies. Recognition and enforcement of copyright in service based industries is fundamental to developing and maintaining assets upon which a company trades.

Gillhams represent media agencies, publishers, manufacturers, distributors and Internet based businesses, and assist them to safeguard their copyrights in commercial contracts and to enforce those rights when required. Our copyright solicitors are well positioned to provide strategic legal advice in these industries.

The strength of copyright is in its role of protecting all manner of original text, images, music, computer programs, and media compilations. However it does not create a panacea. It does not provide the extensive protection granted by patent law: does not protect know-how, be it ideas, information, knowledge, methods, concepts, theories or algorithms. As copyright lawyers and an IP law firm, we understand the strengths of copyright along with its weaknesses, and provide legal advice where copyright is not the most appropriate form of protection.

Brief Synopsis

In essence, copyright law grants owners of copyright the exclusive right to reproduce their original work and license other to do so. The rights reproduce, broadcast, authorise others to perform in public, create translations and otherwise adapt original works are extensive rights that used and managed properly grant powerful rights and the opportunity to generate alternative revenue streams.

Economic Rights

Copyright provides legal protection for both economic rights and moral rights to the owner of an original work. This form of intellectual property protection has been internationalised by the adoption of the Berne Convention by over 150 countries and other treaties.

A company that creates an original work by their own skill and labour regardless of character is conferred with the exclusive right to copy that work for the duration of copyright protection.

These arise at different times and may vest in different people who have contributed different kinds of work and skill.

Our Experience

We provide legal advice on managing intellectual property rights in contracts, and framing methods to adequately protect copyright works, including licensing agreements, sales of copyright and other forms of intellectual property.

This has involved advising in a range of industries, including information technology based companies such as new media companies, software developers, software licensees to publishers and traditional manufacturing companies.

We have advised on copyright disputes, and conduct High Court litigation for infringement of copyright in the UK and internationally.

We assist businesses deal with the issues that arise in dealing with the copyright system, from commercial contracts, dealing with copyright collection agencies for authors, composers, publishers, writers, photographers, musicians, and performers to manage public performances, live and recorded broadcasts, and mechanical reproduction rights.