Copyright and Creative Commons

Copyright is a legal right that protects the creators of original works — including software, music, images, text, films, and databases — from having their work copied, distributed, or modified without permission.

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What is Copyright?

Copyright is an automatic legal protection. As soon as an original work is created and recorded in some form (written down, saved digitally, etc.), it is automatically protected by copyright. You do not need to register it or add a copyright symbol, although the symbol (©) is often used as a reminder.

In the UK, copyright is governed by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

What Copyright Protects

Type of Work	Examples
Literary works	Books, articles, blog posts, source code
Musical works	Songs, compositions, recordings
Artistic works	Photographs, paintings, graphics, logos
Films and broadcasts	Movies, TV shows, YouTube videos
Software	Programs, apps, games, websites
Databases	Collections of organised data

What Copyright Does NOT Protect

• Ideas — only the expression of an idea is protected, not the idea itself
• Facts — you cannot copyright a fact (e.g., "London is the capital of the UK")
• Names, titles, or slogans — these may be protected by trademark instead

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How Long Does Copyright Last?

Type of Work	Duration
Written, dramatic, musical works	Life of the author + 70 years
Sound recordings	70 years from publication
Films	70 years after the death of the last surviving principal director, author, or composer
Computer programs	Life of the author + 70 years

After copyright expires, the work enters the public domain and can be freely used by anyone.

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Copyright and Software

Software source code is protected by copyright as a literary work. This means:

• You cannot copy someone's code without permission
• You cannot distribute or sell software without the copyright holder's consent
• You cannot modify copyrighted software without permission
• Buying software gives you a licence to use it, not ownership of the copyright

Software Licences

A software licence is an agreement that specifies how you are allowed to use the software. Common types include:

Licence Type	Description
Proprietary	The source code is not shared; you pay for a licence to use the software (e.g., Microsoft Office)
Open source	The source code is freely available; you can view, modify, and distribute it (e.g., Linux, Firefox)
Freeware	Free to use but source code is not available; you cannot modify it (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Shareware	Free to try for a limited time; you must pay to continue using it

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Creative Commons Licences

Creative Commons (CC) licences are a set of standardised licences that allow creators to share their work with specific permissions. They provide a middle ground between "all rights reserved" (full copyright) and the public domain.

The Four Licence Elements

Element	Symbol	Meaning
Attribution (BY)	BY	You must credit the original creator
ShareAlike (SA)	SA	Derivative works must use the same licence
NonCommercial (NC)	NC	You cannot use the work for commercial purposes
NoDerivatives (ND)	ND	You cannot modify or build upon the work

graph TD
    C["Copyright<br/>All Rights Reserved"]
    C --> CC["Creative Commons<br/>Some Rights Reserved"]
    C --> PD["Public Domain<br/>No Rights Reserved"]
    CC --> BY["CC BY<br/>Attribution"]
    CC --> BYSA["CC BY-SA<br/>+ ShareAlike"]
    CC --> BYNC["CC BY-NC<br/>+ NonCommercial"]
    CC --> BYND["CC BY-ND<br/>+ NoDerivatives"]
    CC --> BYNCSA[CC BY-NC-SA]
    CC --> BYNCND[CC BY-NC-ND]
    PD --> CC0["CC0<br/>Public Domain Dedication"]
    PD --> EXP["Expired Copyright<br/>Life + 70 years"]

Common Creative Commons Licences

Licence	What it allows
CC BY	Use, share, modify — just credit the creator
CC BY-SA	Use, share, modify — credit the creator and use the same licence
CC BY-NC	Use, share, modify — credit the creator, non-commercial use only
CC BY-NC-SA	Use, share, modify — credit, non-commercial, same licence
CC BY-ND	Share only (no modifications) — credit the creator
CC BY-NC-ND	Share only, non-commercial — credit the creator
CC0	Public domain dedication — no restrictions at all

Exam Tip: You need to understand the difference between copyright and Creative Commons licences. Copyright is automatic and restrictive by default. Creative Commons licences are chosen by creators to grant specific permissions while retaining some rights. Know what BY, SA, NC, and ND mean.

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Copyright Infringement

Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses a copyrighted work without permission. This includes:

• Downloading pirated music, films, or software
• Copying and pasting text from a website without permission
• Using copyrighted images in a presentation or website
• Distributing copies of proprietary software

Consequences

• Civil action — the copyright holder can sue for damages
• Criminal prosecution — deliberate, large-scale piracy can result in criminal charges
• Fines and in serious cases, imprisonment

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Key Points

• Copyright automatically protects original works (including software code).
• The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 governs UK copyright law.
• Copyright lasts for the author's life plus 70 years for most works.
• Software licences define how you may use software (proprietary, open source, freeware, shareware).
• Creative Commons licences let creators share work with specific permissions (BY, SA, NC, ND).
• Copyright infringement can result in civil or criminal penalties.

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The UK Copyright Regime in Depth

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) is the cornerstone of UK intellectual property law. It codifies and updates earlier statutes going back to the Statute of Anne 1710 — the world's first modern copyright law. Copyright is an economic right (controlling copying, distribution, adaptation, communication to the public, and rental) and a moral right (the right to be identified as author, and to object to derogatory treatment of the work).

Scope of Protection in Software