Copyright Issues

The internet has become extremely hazardous in terms of copyright and intellectual property.
Intellectual property is refers to the products of your mind.
- inventions, designs, names among others used in commerce
- films, games, fashion designs

 All work is covered automatically by the Copyright, Design and UK Patents act of 1998. This means that you own the right to do whatever you what with your IP. This also includes anything you upload onto the internet, but only applies in UK territory. For international uses, apply the copyright symbol, ©, to show to others that it is your work.

Patents, Trademarks, Logos and copyright.

- Patents last up to 20 years
- Trademarks and logos last forever
- Copyright lasts up to 75 after your death

To prove that your work is, in fact, yours, make sure to keep track of your work every step. This includes the beginning of the idea, its progress and the final product. Also, deposit a copy of your work at a bank, solicitor, or send a copy to yourself in a sealed envelope to show that it existed at that point.

If someone is using your work and you don't know about it, simply ask them to take it down or to address you as the owner. It saves both time and money. If not, seek legal advice, however this may be more complicated if this someone lives in another country, you would be under their laws.

Alternatives to copyright

Copyleft
- the practice of using existing copyright laws to allow the distribution of work.

Attribution - CC BY
- allows others to alter and distribute your work, as long as you are placed as the original author

Attribution - ShareAlike  CC BY -SA
- The same as above, however the new work is has to be under the same licence.

Attribution - NoDerivatives CC BY -ND
- allows the distribution of your work, however it cannot be changed and you are placed as the original owner

Attribution - NonCommercial CC BY -NC
- allows others to change your work for non- commercial purposes provided that you are aware that they are doing so