Press release
Copyright ‘Highway’ Code
The British Copyright Council (BCC) has launched a single-page basic guide to copyright in the UK, known as the Copyright Highway Code
The purpose of this guide is to give anyone producing or using a creative work, such as a photograph, a brief guide to the copyright “rules of the road”. The code takes the form of a single side of A5, which can be downloaded from the BCC’s website.
The CHC project has been developed by the Copyright Education and Awareness Working Group within the BCC, chaired by BCC Board member, Nicola Solomon who is the CEO of the Society of Authors and a Deputy District Judge. A first draft was written by Andy Finney from The RPS (who acted as editor) and Denise Swanson of the BIPP. The code has been devised so that it is simple and easy to understand, which in itself required thorough discussions and legal input during the drafting process in order to ensure both accuracy and accessibility. Every individual word was discussed to ensure that the result was legally accurate but still easy to understand. The first edition has been agreed by the lawyers and the BCC Board, representing all parts of the creative industries.
Andy Finney says … “A better understanding of copyright is a key part of encouraging better observance of it. The basics are not difficult to understand and they apply to all of us, whether we take photographs or whether we make use of other people’s images.”
Nicola Solomon says “We are delighted to be able to offer this guide to all users of copyright from schools and businesses to creators. There is a clear need for a simple guide to combat myths, to ensure that people know the value of their creations and to encourage simple and hassle free copyright observance”
In future the Group intends to produce further basic guides covering such topics as moral rights and performers’ rights.
Notes for editors
1. The British Copyright Council represents those who create, hold interests or manage rights in literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, performances, films, sound recordings, broadcasts and other material in which there are rights of copyright and related rights.
Our members include professional associations, industry bodies and trade unions which together represent hundreds of thousands of authors, creators, performers, publishers and producers. These right holders include many individual freelancers, sole traders and SMEs as well as larger corporations within the creative and cultural industries. While many of these create works and performances professionally and make decisions relating to both commercial and non-commercial use of those works and performances, they also use and access works in an individual private capacity. Some of our member organisations also represent amateur creators and performers. Our members also include collective rights management organisations which represent right holders and which enable access to works of creativity.
A list of BCC members and more about our services to our members can be found here.
2. Enquiries should be directed to Janet Ibbotson ([email protected] 020 7582 4833).