Useful links
Here are some useful links that may help with various information about copyright and/or professional practice.
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| A guide to Copyright Licensing in Schools | www.licensing-copyright.org |
| A site set up by rights holders to provide guidance on copyright licensing in schools | |
| Alliance Against IP Theft | www.allianceagainstiptheft.co.uk |
| A coalition of British trade associations and industry enforcement bodies which seeks to strengthen IP laws. | |
| Anti-Copying in Design | www.acid.uk.com |
| A membership organisation for designers committed to fighting copyright theft and protection of design rights. The site includes some useful information on design rights. | |
| Artists Information Company, The | www.a-n.co.uk |
| Part of Artists` Newsletter publications group. Its guides for artists are only available on subscription. | |
| Association of Authors` Agents (AAA) | www.agentsassoc.co.uk |
| The AAA is a voluntary body to provide a forum for member agencies to discuss industry matters, to uphold a code of good practice, and to provide a vehicle for representing the interests of agents and authors. | |
| Association of Illustrators (AOI) | www.theaoi.com |
| The AOI was established in 1973 to advance and protect illustrator`s rights and encourage professional standards. The AOI is a non-profit making trade association dedicated to its members` professional interests and the promotion of illustration. | |
| Association of Independent Music (AIM) | www.musicindie.org |
| AIM is a trade body which promotes and protects independent record producers at national and international level. Its site includes a useful list of industry links. | |
| Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) | www.alpsp.org |
| The ALPSP is the world`s largest association for scholarly and professional publishers and is the only international trade association that represents scholarly and professional publishers across all disciplines of academic endeavour. | |
| Association of Photographers | www.the-aop.org |
| Formed in 1968 by a small group of photographers the AOP brings together professional photographers, to protect their rights and promote photography. | |
| Authors` Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) | www.alcs.co.uk |
| The ALCS represents the interests of all UK writers and aims to ensure writers are fairly compensated for any works that are copies, broadcast or recorded. | |
| BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) | www.bcs.org |
| BCS is the leading professional body for those working in IT. Its objects are to promote the study and practice of computing and to advance knowledge of and education in IT for the benefit of the public. BCS is also a registered charity. | |
| Book Trust, The | www.booktrust.org.uk |
| An organisation set up by the book industry to encourage reading. It offers training for those working in the publishing industry | |
| BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) | www.bpi.co.uk |
| British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) | www.basca.org.uk |
| BASCA exists to support and protect the artistic, professional, commercial and copyright interests of songwriters, lyricists and composers of all genres of music and to celebrate and encourage excellence in British music writing. | |
| British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies (BAPLA) | www.bapla.org.uk |
| British Equity Collecting Society Ltd (BECS) | www.equitycollecting.org.uk |
| BECS is the only UK based collective management organisation for audiovisual performers. It represents the interests of its members – over 200,000 actors and performers – in the negotiation and administration of performers` remuneration. | |
| British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) | www.bipp.com |
| The BIPP supports, trains and qualifies professional photographers. By working with government and industry and bringing attention to issues that effect their photographers, they can assure that professional photographers cannot be ignored and that the industry has a positive future. | |
| British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association | www.blaca.org.uk |
| The UK national group of the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI). It is a forum for discussion of matters affecting the rights of authors and other copyright owners. A membership organisation. | |
| Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinema & Theatre Union (BECTU) | www.bectu.org.uk |
| BECTU has about 27,000 members working in TV, Film, Theatre and new media, freelance and directly employed in jobs apart from acting and journalism. BECTU helped set up the Alliance for the Protection of Copyright, with a Code of Conduct on the Submission of Programme Proposals to provide a way of protecting programme proposals submitted. | |
| Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIOJ) | www.cioj.co.uk |
| Both an independently certificated trade union and professional association, the CIOJ was formed in 1884 and granted a Royal Charter in 1890 by Queen Victoria. It has been serving and protecting the best interests of journalism and journalists ever since. | |
| Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) | www.cilip.org.uk |
| The leading professional body for librarians and information managers. | |
| Chartered Institute of Patent Agents (CIPA) | www.cipa.org.uk |
| Institute includes useful information about Patents as well as lists of its members. | |
| Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) | www.csd.org.uk |
| A long established professional society for designers representing companies as well as individual designers | |
| Christian Copyright Licensing International Ltd (ERA) | www.ccli.co.uk |
| CCLA exists to help individuals, churches and organizations in the area of worship. Its services include licensing the reproduction of hymns and songs used in acts of collecting worship. Their site also includes an "ABC of Church Copyright" | |
| Commercial Radio Companies Association | www.crca.co.uk |
| The trade body for UK commercial radio. | |
| Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd (CLA) | www.cla.co.uk |
| The CLA licenses organisations to copy from books, journals, magazines and on-line/digital publications on behalf of the authors, publishers and visual creators it represents. CLA was set up to protect the creativity of rights holders by ensuring they get a fair reward for the reproduction of their work. | |
| Copyright Tribunal, The | www.patent.gov.uk |
| Information about the Copyright Tribunal can be found on The Patent Office website | |
| Copyright World | www.informalaw.com |
| Journal focusing exclusively on international copyright law | |
| Copywatch | www.copywatch.org |
| Helps prevent illegal copying. | |
| Crafts Council | www.craftscouncil.org.uk |
| National organisation for the promotion of contemporary crafts. The site includes information on how to run a crafts business. | |
| Creators' Rights Alliance | www.creatorsrights.org.uk |
| A campaigning body for major organisations representing copyright creators and content providers | |
| Design & Artists Copyright Society (DACS) | www.dacs.org.uk |
| DACS is the UK`s copyright and collecting society for artists and visual creators. They represent 26,000 fine artists and their heirs as well as photographers, illustrators, architects, animators and designers. | |
| Design Business Association (DBA) | www.dba.org.uk |
| Membership organisation for designers concentrating on business issues and offering a range of training courses for designers. | |
| Design Council | www.design-council.org.uk |
| Directors Guild of Great Britain | www.dggb.co.uk |
| The industry body for directors in all media including film and television. | |
| Directors UK | www.directors.uk.com |
| Directors UK is the single voice for British film and television directors. As a collecting society and campaigning body Directors UK represents the creative, economic and contractual rights of their 4000 members. | |
| Educational Recording Agency Ltd (ERA) | www.era.org.uk |
| The ERA is a copyright collecting society. It was set up under the laws of England and Wales in 1989 with a view to operating a copyright licensing scheme for non-commercial educational use of copyright protected material. | |
| Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) | www.elspa.com |
| ELSPA works to protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members and to address issues for the industry. It has an anti-piracy unit and the site includes information on anti-piracy | |
| Equity | www.equity.org.uk |
| Equity is the only Trade Union to represent artists from across the entire spectrum of arts and entertainment. Formed in 1930 by a group of West End of London performers, Equity quickly spread to encompass the whole range of professional entertainment. | |
| European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers | www.gesac.org |
| An EEIG representing a wide range of authors in the fields of music, art, literary and dramatic works. Lobbying mainly at European level for issues affecting authors | |
| European Intellectual Property Review | www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk |
| Journal offering comprehensive coverage of the IP field including copyright | |
| European Union | www.europa.eu.int |
| EU website look for Directorate General Internal Market which is responsible for legislation on all forms of IP including copyright | |
| European Visual Artists (EVA) | www.europeanvisualartists.org |
| Interest group representing the collecting societies for European visual artists and their members. It is active at European and International level. | |
| Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) | www.fact-uk.org.uk |
| FACT’s member companies include major British and American film companies, media manufacturers and distributors, as well as companies within the television and satellite TV industries. It was formed to combat counterfeiting, piracy and misuse of its members` products and is increasingly investigating copyright infringement involving DVD and other digital formats. The site has a facility for making reports about piracy. It also includes information on relevant legislation. | |
| Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) | www.fast.org.uk |
| The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) was set up by the British Computer Society`s Copyright Committee and was the first software copyright organisation. Illegal use of software can be reported through the site. | |
| Filmbank | www.filmbank.co.uk |
| Leaders in non-theatrical distribution and includes content provision and screening licences. | |
| Her Majesty`s Customs and Excise | www.hmce.gov.uk |
| Notice 34 on Intellectual Property Rights explains how HMC&E operates EC legislation on counterfeiting and piracy | |
| Informa Law Publishing | www.informalaw.com |
| Number of IP publications plus conferences and summer schools | |
| Information Commissioner`s Office (ICO) | www.ico.gov.uk |
| The UK`s independent public body set up to promote access to official information and protect personal information by promoting good practice, ruling on eligible complaints, providing information to individuals and organisations, and taking appropriate action when the law is broken. | |
| Institute of Practitioners in Advertising | www.ipa.co.uk |
| The trade body and professional institute for leading advertising agencies in the UK | |
| Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys | www.itma.org.uk |
| Institute includes useful information about Trade Marks as well as lists of its members. | |
| Intellectual Property Institute | www.ip-institute.org.uk |
| The IPI promotes awareness and understanding of IP law. It commissions research and has a range of publications | |
| Intellectual Property Office (IPO) | www.ipo.gov.uk |
| The website of the Government Department with direct responsibility for all forms of intellectual property. Includes a range of information about each area of IP and includes notices on existing and forthcoming legislation and all current consultations. | |
| Interactive Games Developers Association, The | www.tiga.org |
| TIGA aims to foster a better commercial environment for independent games development companies. | |
| International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers | www.cisac.org |
| CISAC represents 209 authors' societies in 109 countries | |
| International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) | www.ifpi.org |
| Represents the international recording industry. The website has an anti-piracy section and informatio on copyright and creativity. | |
| LexisNexis Butterworths | www.butterworths.com |
| Leading provider of information and business solutions | |
| Libraries and Archives Copyright Alliance (LACA) | www.cilip.org.uk/policyadvocacy/copyright |
| Brings together the UK`s major professional organisations and experts representing librarians and archivists to advocate a fair and balanced copyright regime and to lobby about the copyright issues affecting the ability of library, archive and information services to deliver access to knowledge in the digital age. | |
| Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC) | www.mplcuk.com |
| An independent copyright licensing agency that provides the MPLC Umbrella license to ensure copyright compliance for the public performance of motion pictures. | |
| Museums Copyright Group | www.mda.org.uk |
| The Group represents museums, galleries, archives and libraries in copyright matters. Useful information on copyright and museums available on the website | |
| Music Managers` Forum (MMF) | www.themmf.net |
| Music Publishers Association | www.mpaonline.org.uk |
| The Music Publishers Association exists to safeguard the interests of music publishers and the writers signed to them. It provides them with a forum and a collective voice, offers them a range of practical services, represents their interests to the wider music industry, the media and the public and works to inform and to educate the wider public in the importance and value of copyright. | |
| Musicians` Union | www.musiciansunion.org.uk |
| The Musicians` Union represents over 30,000 musicians working in all sectors of the music business. As well as negotiating on behalf of its members with all the major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services for self-employed professional and student musicians of all ages. | |
| National Campaign for the Arts | www.artscampaign.org.uk |
| An independent lobbying organisation representing all the arts. Membership of around 500 organisations | |
| National Endowment for Science Technology & the Arts | www.nesta.org.uk |
| Funding body which invests in outstanding ideas and supporting British talent | |
| Newspaper Licensing Agency | www.nla.co.uk |
| NUJ | www.nuj.org.uk |
| National Union of Journalists | |
| NUJ freelance | www.media.gn.apc.org |
| Not the main NUJ website but the site provided by the London Freelance Branch of the NUJ with lots of copyright information | |
| Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) | www.ppa.co.uk |
| PPA is the trade association for publishers and providers of consumer, customer and business media in the UK. | |
| Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) | www.ppluk.com |
| PPL is the London based music licensing company which licenses recorded music on behalf of 3,400 record companies and 39,500 performers in the UK. | |
| Poetry Society, The | www.poetrysociety.org.uk |
| Exists to help poetry and poets. The site includes faq`s | |
| Producers Alliance for Cinema & Television | www.pact.co.uk |
| UK trade association representing the commercial interests of independent feature film, tv, animation and interactive media companies. | |
| Producers Rights Agency | www.pact.co.uk |
| Agent for UK tv and film producers in connection with performers, writers, musicians, music rights owners and production crew. | |
| Pro-Music | www.pro-music.org |
| Pro-music is a coalition of people and organisations working across the music sector. The international alliances of musicians, performers, managers, artists, major and independent record companies and retailers across the music industry have joined forces to promote the myriad of different ways in which people can enjoy music safely and legitimately online. | |
| PRS for music | www.prsformusic.com |
| Public Art On-Line | www.publicartonline.org.uk |
| This site is a useful resource for those involved in commissioning public art including best practice for artists and commissioners | |
| Public Lending Right (PLR) | www.plr.uk.com |
| PLR was established by the Public Lending Right Act 1979 | |
| Publishers Licensing Society (PLS) | www.pls.org.uk |
| PLS`s sole objective is to serve the UK publishing industry by working to protect publishers` rights and to lead on industry-wide initiatives involving rights management and collective licensing. | |
| Publishers` Association (PA) | www.publishers.org.uk |
| Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute | www.qmipri.org |
| Part of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies and Queen Mary, University of London, QMIPRI is a focus for research into all aspects of intellectual property law and policy | |
| Rightscom | www.rightscom.com |
| Consultancy specialising in rights management and technology advisory service. Site includes a 'Survivor's Guide to Copyright' | |
| Royal National Institute for the Blind | www.rnib.org.uk |
| The RNIB is the UK's leading charity for people with sight problems. Their website includes information on the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002. | |
| Royal Photographic Society (RPS) | www.rps.org |
| Society of Authors | www.societyofauthors.org |
| The Society of Authors is an independent trade union, representing writers` interests in all aspects of the writing profession, particularly publishing, but also broadcasting, television and film, theatre and translation. | |
| Sweet & Maxwell | www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk |
| Wide range of books on all forms of IP | |
| Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights | www.wto.org |
| The website of the World Trade Organisation with information on Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) | |
| UK Music | www.ukmusic.org |
| UK Music is an umbrella organisation representing the collective interests of the UK`s commercial music industry, from artists, musicians, songwriters and composers, to major and independent record labels, managers, music publishers, studio producers and collecting societies. | |
| US Copyright Office | www.copyright.gov |
| The Government Department responsible for copyright in the USA. Its site contains information and answers to faq's. | |
| Video Performance Limited (VPL) | www.musicmall.co.uk |
| VPL is a collecting society which licences the users of music videos. | |
| World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) | www.wipo.org |
| WIPO is responsible for promoting and protecting all forms of intellectual property through the international treaties it administers including the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. | |
| Writers Guild of Great Britain | www.writersguild.org.uk |
