What are the main points of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1989 and the Computer Misuse Act 1990?

Answer 1

* In the UK, copyright arises automatically as soon as someone (the author) records the work in material form and no formalities such as registration are required. This applies to all original works of an author. 'Original' does not mean new, but simply that it originated from the author, that is, it is not copied from someone else. * Material form does not have to be writing on paper, but can include saving it onto a CD or hard drive. * Under the act a large number of works are protected: literary works, dramatic works, musical works, artistic works (including images), broadcasts, photographs, sculptures, collages & architectural works. * Literary works include computer programs or anything expressed in writing or machine-readable form (including digitized images, databases, everything on the internet and software). * The author of the copyright is not always the owner of the copyright. Employers will automatically own the copyright of all work that employees create during the course of their employment. Although this is a legal position it is also often explicitly stated in contracts of employment. * An author/owner can of course transfer his copyright by written agreement for a set fee or in return for a royalty payment. This type of agreement must be in writing to be effective. Or, a copyright owner may provide a user license to allow their work to be used by someone else rather than selling it to them outright. The latter is typically the situation that exists for software and websites.