Unit 1: 1.5 Explain How Regulations May Affect The Use Of Copyight Materials

Copyright is the legal right which was created by the law of a country, which grants the creator of the original work exclusive rights to its distribution. Copyright is important to creators like writers and artists as well as those such as publishers that own rights, as it provides them with a legal right of ownership of the work that they produce.

This means that creators of an original piece of work can have some control over how it is used, which is not only fair but necessary for them to make a living from their talent and efforts. When they have the means to make a living from their work then they can continue to invest their time, and, in the case of publishers, their money into the production of new work.

Materials which are subject to copyright

Musical Scores/Recorded Music – Any form of copied music is subject to copyright, unless you  either edit the song so it does not sound at all like the original, or if you get written permission to use that music.

Scripts - Ideas and story lines that were taken directly from another production are subject to a copyright. E.g. If you made a film with the exact story line and characters as Harry Potter, the producers could file a claim against you.

Images and sound in the production – Including musical scores and scripts, using someone’s images and sounds without their permission.

Finished Films – Films which are finished and contain any copied work such as photographs, music or branding for which permission was not given, are in breach of the copyright laws. 

Regulations affecting the use of copyright

Generally you aren’t allowed to use someone’s work because of copyright, however there is regulations which allow a very limited use of a product. The basic rights which are protected by copyright laws are: To reproduce the work; to import/export the work; to create derivative works; to create and distribute copies; to publicly perform and display the work.

The "Fair Use Doctrine" allows the limited use of materials which are copyrighted without any permission. It’s determined by four factors which are: Purpose and the charter of use; the nature of the copyrighted material; the amount of copyright used and the effect of the use to market potential.

Almost all copyrighted material which is for educational use falls under the "Fair Use Doctrine", the acts that are permitted to a certain degree are: Research and Private study purposes; Lending for educational purposes; News reporting and criticism; Parody, pastiche and caricature; playing sound recordings for non profit making organizations.

This sheet is a example page from the UK copyright service document.