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Copyright Infringement

UK Copyright Infringement

Copyright Infringement Lawyers London

Our copyright infringement solicitors in London give expert advice and guidance to parties involved in copyright disputes. Our London-based IP lawyers can handle copyright disputes at both the pre-action correspondence stage and where infringement proceedings have been commenced in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court or the Patents Court.

Our copyright solicitors have conducted high profile cases involving allegations of copyright infringement in music recordings, celebrity photographs and sculptures. We also advise literary agents on complex issues relating to the duration of copyright and assignment and licensing issues.

The first step in a copyright infringement claim is to understand whether copyright exists and who owns it. Creators and publishers should note that, for the law to recognise that copyright exists in a piece of work, that work does not need to be formally registered with an official government body. Rather, copyright arises automatically when original work is created by someone who applies sufficient skill or judgment to their creation.

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 sets out the different types of work that will attract copyright law protection, including:

  • Literary, dramatic and musical works
  • Databases
  • Artistic works
  • Sound recordings
  • Films
  • Broadcasts

Save for limited exceptions, only an author of copyright work can copy or reproduce the work. Copyright infringement claims therefore commonly arise upon a discovery that work has been copied and published without the author’s permission. In current times, many such discoveries – particularly where literary and artistic works are concerned – are made online.

Where an infringement has taken place, copyright owners should act swiftly to enforce and protect their valuable economic rights. Our UK copyright infringement solicitors put together expertly crafted cease and desist letters that can get quick results.

If you require advice on the matters discussed above, regardless of whether you are a copyright owner or have been accused of copyright infringement, please get in touch with an IP solicitor at South Bank Legal for a confidential discussion.