Copyright guide: what is copyright?

Copyright is a legal property right, it exists to control the reproduction of intellectual property expressed in a physical form. Ideas in themselves are not covered by copyright, though patent and designs law may protect them. Copyright subsists in:

• Literary, dramatic, musical works
• Artistic works
• Sound recordings, films, broadcasts or cable programmes
• Typographical arrangements of published editions

Copyright protection is automatic (no registration is required) and it applies to all physical formats, including the Internet.