Copyright Insurance
What needs to be protected?
Well, it’s a good idea to mark your copyright work with the copyright symbol © and add your name and the date, this could act to warn others against copying it.
There is, in fact, no official register for copyright, it is an unregistered right. A copyright comes into effect as soon as something is on Paper, Film, Sound Recording or on the Internet etc. The areas that copyright protects are:
- Things such as novels, lyrics for songs, software programs, newspaper articles etc.
- The original type of works such as music, dance, original artistic works, photography, maps, logos and diagrams.
- Broadcasts, films, videos, published works, recordings on any mediums, DVD’s, tapes and CD’s.
Copyright, however, does not protect ideas only the way the idea is presented in a specific way.
So why do we need copyright insurance?
Basically for two reasons –
- For the defence cost and any damages that you may have to contend with if you have inadvertently used a copyrighted work(s).
- If someone has taken your copyright and used it and you need legal cover to pursue the company or person who has done so.
The Insurance Cover
The policy will cover both legal costs to pursue or defend an allegation, and in the event that you have yourself infringed someone else’s copyright, any damage costs awarded up to the level of indemnity selected – to obtain quotes please click here.
Why have copyright insurance?
One thing for sure is that once you have produced a copyrighted piece of work you need to consider how best to protect your work and Intellectual Property Insurance will do exactly that. The type of cover you will obtain from Intellectual Property Insurance is as follows:
- Legal expenses to defend your rights
- Legal expenses to enforce your rights
- Legal expenses to defend your agreements
- Damages awarded if your defence is unsuccessful
- Expert witness, enquiry and attendance expenses
- Intended to apply to UK registered companies, firms or individuals within UK law
- Claims against non-UK companies etc should be allowable if under UK law
- Cover for non-UK companies etc may be available
- Cover for Customs and Excise fees to monitor imports for surveillance of counterfeit goods
