Assigning your intellectual property – copyrights

Whilst a copyright need not be registered in the UK, individual’s or businesses who wish to safeguard the purchase/ transfer of their copyrighted works can do so by way of a document known as a ‘copyright assignment’.

A copyright assignment is used to transfer the ownership of a copyright to an individual or business. In some ways similar to tangible property, under an assignment agreement, the transferring party (‘assignor’) will transfer their ownership rights over the works to a third party (‘assignee’).

In comparison to other intellectual property rights such as trade marks and patents, copyrights are regarded as an unregistered right thus it is of vital importance for individuals and businesses to ensure that the transfer of these rights are documented in the assignment.

An assignment of copyright will include details as to what works are being transferred, for example,  the designs of a product or a piece artwork and it is required to be in writing and signed by both the assignor and the assignee.  It is important to note however that transferring selling copyrighted works or a copy of those works does not always transfer the copyright a whole and it is in instead assigned partially.

Although there are no specific requirements as to the form of words used to assign copyright, we highly recommend getting a legal expert to draft one on your behalf. Here at Lawdit we can assist you in ensuring the transfer of your intellectual property is a smooth process – contact us today if you would like further information.

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