PRE-PRODUCTION: 7th February: Copyright

I went onto the website www.copyrightservice.co.uk to look up what copyright is and how it works, here are some of the importat points which I learnt about.

"Can I copyright an idea?

No. Copyright may protect a work, drawing or plan that outlines the

idea, but copyright cannot prevent the idea itself from being used elsewhere.

Obtaining Permission

If you are not sure if your use is fair dealing or covered under a

licensing scheme always check with the publisher/copyright owner

and obtain permission if needed.

When obtaining permission to use a copyright work it is normally best

to contact the publisher. In some cases the publisher may be able to

act on the copyright owners behalf, alternatively they may direct you

to the appropriate licensing organisation or pass your request on to

the copyright owner directly. In the case of material published on the

Internet the best place to start is normally by contacting the web site

owner.

When seeking permission, you should put your request in writing and

specify:

• The material you wish use (include the title of publication, author

name etc.)

• The exact content to be duplicated (i.e. page numbers, section

names, etc.)

• The number of copies you wish to make.

• How the copies will be used (i.e. for an event, course work, etc.).

• Who the copies will be distributed to (i.e. students , parents,

general public).

You should allow adequate time for the copyright owner to provide

permission. Also bear in mind that the copyright owner is not required

to give permission and may refuse or simply not respond to your

Rights of the copyright owner

Copyright is an automatic international right that gives the creators of

literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works the right to control the

ways in which their material may be used.

The rights cover: Broadcast and public performance, copying,

adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public. In many

cases, the creator will also have the right to be identified as the author."

What have I learnt from this:

• We need to ensure when we create our film that we  avoid copyright. We need to ensure that we don't accidentally include background music which could be playing when we are filming somewhere.
• We need to ensure that if we do need to ask permission for something we leave enough time, and also specify exactly what you want permission for.
• Do not inclue any artistic works such as photos.