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Copyright is Awesome!

by Kay Richards on 2019-04-28T15:00:00+01:00 | 0 Comments

 

Everybody loves Copyright; it is fascinating, easy to understand and just plain awesome! This is a fact…right?

Well, maybe not.  For many people Copyright is dull, and confusing.

Therefore, using the power of the blog I will quickly rectify these inaccurate misunderstandings.

By the way, have you noticed how fast paced and exhilarating this blog post is?  Like totally thrilling and awesome…just like copyright…right?! :-)

Inaccuracy number 1:  ‘Copyright is confusing’

Wrong! Although there can be many intricacies to copyright, broken down into its most basic form Copyright is really very easy to understand.  As follows:

  1. If you create something, you own the copyright to it (and you don’t even have to add one of these: ©)
  2. If you wish to re-use something that someone else created (i.e. make a copy) you can.  Providing:
  • You have permission from the creator.  Or…
  • Permission is granted by some kind of licence.  Or…
  • A Copyright exception can be applied (such as fair use).  Or…
  • Copyright has expired :-)

That’s it.  Simple right, told you.

 

Inaccuracy number 2‘Copyright is dull’

Copyright applies to everything ever created…EVERYTHING!

Therefore, if you have any interest in THINGS, that were CREATED, you have an interest in Copyright.  And I’ll tell you who has an interest in things…EVERYONE!

Think about your passions, your favourite shows, your favourite music, your favourite books.  The thing you appreciate most about your favourite things is often their awesomeness.  This awesomeness is linked to their very creation, and it is at that very moment of creation that Copyright also sprang into life.  Copyright is so integral to the creation of your favourite things, the things you love, that you must therefore love Copyright.  Right?

Not convinced?  Well think about it this way, Copyright is also a protector of your favourite things.  If some cheeky scallywag ever tries to copy your favourite things (without permission) they will be struck down by the copyright Gods (and potentially prosecuted).

Therefore Copyright makes your favourite thing even more awesome (and powerful).  This can be illustrated with this simple equation:

Your favourite thing + Copyright (Protection/Power) = your favourite thing is super powerful and awesome!

And let us not forget a recent news item where it was claimed that the very successful song (or track, if you’re young) ‘This is America’ by ‘Childish Gambino’ was in fact copied from a similar song by another artist.  This was a news story about Copyright, and it was also about Childish Gambino.  You know what this means don’t you?

By association, copyright is also cool!

You didn’t see me do it but I just dropped the mike.  Boom

 

David Upson-Dale
​Copyright & Research Information Advisor

Outside of work David has a number of interests and Hobbies.   Rap battling, Jumping over hedges, and Haiku Poetry are just a few


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