Experienced Expert Copyright Registration Lawyers

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, copyright arises automatically when an original work is recorded in a fixed form. There is no official copyright register in the UK, and no fee or application is needed.

Because there is no register, evidence matters. Dated drafts, source files, metadata, version histories and records of publication help prove that you created the work, and when. We help you put a reliable evidence record in place.

Work created by employees in the course of employment usually belongs to the employer. Freelancers and agencies usually own what they create unless copyright is assigned in writing. We review and fix the chain of title before you invest, sell or license.

UK works are protected in most countries under the Berne Convention. In the United States, registration with the US Copyright Office is generally needed before suing over a US work, and timely registration can unlock statutory damages and legal fees. We advise on when registration abroad is worthwhile.

AI raises new questions over who owns generated content and how training data is used. In Getty Images v Stability AI [2025] EWHC 2863 (Ch), the High Court held that a trained AI model that does not store the works it learned from is not an "infringing copy". Getty has permission to appeal.

We draft and negotiate licences, distribution agreements and cross-media platform deals, so you can maximise the value of your creative work.