Intellectual Property: Did you know…?

Did you know that unless specifically provided for by contract, the first owner of copyright is (usually) the creator of the copyright work?

This means that if you commission a third party to create something that attracts copyright protection (e.g. a photographer to take photos for your company website) they will automatically own the copyright in the work. 

Our advice would be to always set out at the start of a commission type relationship who will own the rights.

For more advice on this area, please contact Emma Hayward.