WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)?
Intellectual Property refers to the property rights of creative ideas, inventions and other works. To obtain Intellectual Property rights, you would have to acquire a licence for your created property. With Intellectual Property rights, the creator can control who is and who isn’t allowed to use or copy their work.
TYPES OF RIGHTS
Copyright:
Copyright is a legal right given for a set number of years for various types of media. The author (or authors employer at the time of media creation) has authority over printing, publishing, broadcasting, performing, filming or copying in any way. Copyright rights do not protect the creation itself but allow the author to control its use. Copyright ownership is transferable, and licences can also be obtained from the author with specifications about what the licensee is legally allowed to do with the copyrighted material.
Legally a person can obtain, copy or use copyrighted materials for personal use, non-commercial research or for private study.
Performance Rights:
There are two types of performance rights. One performance right refers to creating and giving copies of work. This right also involves the process of lending recordings of the property performance. It is possible for a person to obtain a licence for this type of intellectual property via the property owner.
The other type of performance rights is the recording right. This protects the artist and or their record company from any non-licensed recordings of live performances. This right is usually obtained for music, stage performances and poetry.
Patents:
Patents are limited in regards to rights due to the fact that they give the owner coverage for up to 20 years. To be granted a patent, your invention has to be unique, and it has to be somewhat of a novelty creation. A patent document contains detailed information and descriptions of the invention. Patents can also be licenced by means of contacting the patent owner.
Trade Marks:
Trade Mark rights are often obtained by brand owners and can be renewed indefinitely. These rights are usually used to protect products, goods or services.
WHY DO IP RIGHTS IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES MATTER?
Intellectual Property rights are often fundamental for most professionals of the creative industries. IP rights provide ownership and control over any potential creations you may want to protect. Some creative professionals also acquire IP rights in order to make a profit off of their creations by means of charging for licences and assignation.
By not acquiring Intellectual Property rights for your creations and media, you are putting your work at risk of being stolen, copied or misused.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY
In the animation industry, it is vital that you or the company you work for protects your work by means of Intellectual Property rights. By doing this, you can legally control who has, and you has not got the right to use your work commercially. These rights also protect the author from having their work illegally plagiarised.
USEFUL LINKS: https://www.cla.co.uk/what-is-copyright