Copyright

I will need to look at Copyright and the impact it will have on my future career. If I want to be a professional illustrator then I have to understand how Copyright relates to me. 

There are four ways of protecting an Intellectual Property (IP)

Copyright

If I create a piece of artwork then it is automatically protected by copyright. As copyright is there for the protection of a creation there is no need to apply for it. This does not apply to an idea however. The idea can only be protected if it has a physical form E.G. a script or a painting. If it’s still in your head than there is nothing to protect. An interesting point to note is that 70 years after an artist passes away then all of their work becomes free domain. 

Patents

A patent is a set of specialist rights which are often given to an inventor by their sovereign state. It is created to ensure the protection of the invention and prevent copying. The patent might not last too long as it’s a temporary grant but it is often worth it. To reserve this the inventor must often agree to share information with the public.

Trade Marks

A Trade Mark is a recogniseable design which can link a set of products to a company or creator. A lot of products we use are protected by this. It also helps the consumer to avoid bootleg copies which are often poorly made and could cause health problems. To get official Trade Mark protection you must apply to register it.  

Designs

Whilst copyright protects a final product like a movie, it’s also important to protect the prep work. A lot of designs and scripts go into a large scale project like a film. This early work is often stolen as its often unfinished.

At the moment the only one on this list that applies to me is copyright. As a student its reassuring to know that my work has some form of protection. As I progress in the creative industry I might have to use another one of these to protect my work.