Copyright and Intellectual Property

Copyright exists automatically in original, authorial works of intellectual creation. Under UK law, such works are categorised into four categories

• Literary works (whether written, spoken or sung), including software code, psychometric instruments, tables and compilations;
• Dramatic works (of action and for performance), including choreography, cinematography, playscripts and screenplays;
• Musical works (excluding lyrics and librettos, being literary and dramatic works respectively);
• Artistic works (for visual appreciation), including maps, photographs, and works of architecture and artistic craftsmanship.

Remember, copyright is there to make sure you get credit for your work and control how it’s used. It’s all about respecting and protecting creativity!

At London Met, understanding copyright is essential when creating, using, or sharing academic and creative work.

• Students and staff are usually the first owners of copyright in anything they personally create—this includes essays, artwork, photographs, software, and databases.
• For films, both the principal director and the producer are considered joint copyright owners.
• Sound recordings, broadcasts, and published editions typically involve shared copyright between the producer, publisher, and original creators (such as composers or lyricists).
• If you're publishing in academic journals, be aware that many publishers require authors to transfer copyright, which may limit your ability to reuse your own work later.
• You do not need to register copyright or use the © symbol. Copyright is automatic from the moment you create something original.

If you're unsure about using someone else's work or protecting your own, the Library team can help guide you through copyright and licensing questions.

• Original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works: life of author + 70 years from the end of the year in which the creator died.  If the author is unknown or unpublished, copyright expires at the end of 2039 or 70 years beyond the death of the author, whichever is greater. Expired copyright works are considered to be in the public domain
• Sound recordings: 50 years from the end of the year in which the recording was made; however this extends to 70 years if it was made publicly available or published
• Broadcasts: 50 years from the end of the year the broadcast was first made
• Films: 70 years from the end of the year in which the last of the following died - principal director, screenplay author, dialogue author or composer of music used in the film
• Databases: 15 years from the end of the year in which a database was completed. Databases may receive copyright protection if the selection and arrangement of the contents is sufficiently original. Database right is an automatic right and updates enable the copyright period to begin again
• Crown copyright: 125 years from the end of the year of creation, or 50 years from first commercial publication. The Open Government Licence permits public sector information to be re-used freely with few conditions
• Parliamentary copyright: 50 years from the end of the year in which it was created. The Open Parliament Licence permits you to re-use content flexibly with few conditions. It covers not only material in which either House owns the copyright or database right, but also material published before 1 August 1989 in which Crown copyright subsists
• Typographical arrangements of published material: 25 years from the end of the year in which the work was first published. New editions of out-of-copyright works are also protected