Copyright

While copyright protection in the arts industries is well known, this is a right that can be easily overlooked because it comes into existence automatically, protecting a diverse types of original works. In fact, copyright protected material is likely to be found in almost every aspect of a business.

A versatile right, it can protect literary and artistic works as well as a range of other types of work including databases and software. There is a common misperception that, for copyright to exist, the work in question has to have some creative merit. This is not the case, and even a set of instructions which you create to describe the operation of a product may enjoy the same extent of protection as a novel.

Examples of materials that are commonly created within businesses and in which copyright will therefore exist are:

  • Layout of a website
  • Computer software
  • GUIs
  • Instructional literature
  • Packaging get up
  • Artwork and photography created for corporate materials
  • Customer databases

We can help you to identify material created by your business which is protected by copyright, as well as advising you when others copy your work and infringe copyright.

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Our team: Copyright

Nicole Ockl

Nicole Ockl

Partner, Head of Legal, Trademarks and Designs (Germany) | Litigation

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