Copyright Assignment

Use our Copyright Assignment Template to transfer copyright from one party (the Assignor) to another party (the Assignee). The document can be used to transfer the copyright in any material in which the right exists.

When To Use a Copyright Assignment Template

Use our draft if you are the owner of the copyright and you want to:

1. sell the copyright in something to another party; or
2. gift the copyright to another.

The copyright you are transferring can be anything in which copyright exists. That is any literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works, or a sound recording.

Do I need An Assignment?

For copyright to be assigned from one party to another, it needs to be completed via an ‘instrument in writing‘. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 requires this. This simply means that you need to put in place a written agreement to transfer the copyright legally. Hence using a Copyright Assignment template.

The agreement documents the terms on which the transfer has taken place. In addition, there is no register of copyright in the UK. As a result, the transfer document acts as proof that the assignor has assigned the copyright. It also details:

• who the owner of the copyright is; and
• whether there are any restrictions or other terms applicable to the assignment.

As copyright is not registered in the UK, you do not need to make any application to the Intellectual Property Office to register the assignment.

So to cover all of this and make it very easy for yourself, use Legalo’s Copyright Assignment.

Using Our Copyright Assignment Template

Once you have bought the draft, you can download it in Word format and begin editing the document to create your copyright assignment agreement.

The template contains [square] brackets which shows you where to edit the template with the information that is specific to your situation.

This will be details such as:

• the name of the party who is selling the copyright; and
• the name of the party who is buying the copyright (or receiving it if the assignor is gifting it to them).

If the other party is paying for the transfer of the copyright, then add the amount within the agreement. However, if the owner is gifting the copyright, then you can edit the clause to confirm that the other party is not paying for it.

If you have any questions about the copyright assignment, please do contact us. We do also have other copyright templates if you need them:

• copyright licence
• copyright infringement notice letter
• copied content complaint letter
• DMCA takedown notice

FAQs on Copyright Assignments

Below we have answered a number of popular questions about copyright assignments from the Internet.

What is an example of copyright?

Works that the law protects by copyright are original creative works. For example, that could be a book, film, song or photograph. ). Copyright gives the creator exclusive rights to control how their work is used and allows them to benefit financially from its use without the fear of others profiting from it. For example, the creator has the legal right to publish, distribute and perform their work exclusively. They may earn money from those publications, performances or distribution of their work.

A common example of a copyrighted work is a piece of music, such as a pop song. The lyrics, melody, and arrangement of this song are all protected by copyright, meaning no one else can legally reproduce, distribute, perform, or create derivative works based on the original recording without permission from the copyright holder (for example, the songwriter or their estate).

In the UK, copyright protection over that work is automatic on production of the finished work. In the UK, the law does not require registration of the work (nor is it possible) in order to gain copyright protection. This may be different in other countries: some do permit registration of copyright; others do not even recognise copyright as a legal right or offer protection for it.

How do I write a copyright notice UK? What is a copyright notice UK?

In the UK a copyright notice, to state that you are the copyright owner, must include the symbol ©, the year (or full date) the document or image was first published and the name of the copyright owner. “All rights reserved” is a phrase that you can add if you would like. It would look something like this:

            © 2023 John Smith. All Rights Reserved.

It is a good idea to make sure that the above are all written on your work, whenever and wherever you publish it. This makes it clear you are claiming the copyright and asserting your rights. The notice shows the public that the work is protected by copyright and informs them of the need to seek permission from the copyright owner before using, reproducing, or distributing the work.

Copyright notices are not legally required, but serve as a warning to others not to infringe your copyright. It can also help to serve in plagiarism disputes as evidence of when you first published the article.

Can you assign copyright in the UK?

You can assign copyright in the UK through a legally binding agreement in writing. The copyright owner must sign it. It should clearly state what rights you are assigning, if there are any restrictions or conditions and if you require any payment for the copyright usage. You must be sure that the parties have signed the document properly. You can purchase a copyright assignment from Legalo, safe in the knowledge that we have made sure that it will be valid and cover what needs including under UK law.

What is a copyright assignment?

A copyright assignment is a legal process in which the owner of a copyright transfers some or all of their rights in a creative work to another party. The process involves a written agreement stating the terms and conditions of the transfer, and what exactly the transfer involves. The agreement can also include details about the price or royalties due and any restrictions. Once the assignment is complete, the original copyright owner no longer holds the transferred rights, and the assignee gains the ability to exercise those rights as if they were the original copyright owner. As copyright in the UK is not registered, the assignment of copyright is not registered either.

What are the formalities of copyright assignment?

If you wish to transfer, assign or sell the rights to use your copyright, then you would need to create a written agreement signed by you as the copyright owner. This agreement is known as an assignment of copyright and should include any conditions or limits on the use of your copyright and if the person using the copyright has to pay you or do anything else in order to use the copyright. It should be in writing and signed by both parties in order to meet the requirements of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. At Legalo, we have prepared this document as a template for you to use, so you know that we have included all the key clauses.

Does an assignment of copyright need to be in writing?

In the UK a copyright assignment must be a written document so it can be legally enforced. Without a written document, you have no evidence of what you agreed or that you transferred or bought the rights. So you require a written document, so that it is clear, as we have discussed above:

• what rights and duties each party has, including any restrictions,
• what rights you are transferring, and
• any payment that is due.

How do I prove copyright ownership in the UK?

As mentioned above, the law grants copyright automatically on the production of a unique, creative piece of work. You can remind people of your copyright ownership by:

• using a © symbol, your name and the year, or date, of publication,
• having evidence that you have created or have rights to distribute or use the work, and
• by keeping copies of any documents about the work.

However, if you need to prove copyright ownership in a legal context, you can take certain steps to show clear ownership:

• Keep dated records of the creation process, such as previous working drafts or digital copies and related correspondence, such as with a publisher,
• Use copyright notices,
• Keep any copyright agreements,
• Consider witnesses.

Is copyright assignment the same as copyright ownership?

No, ownership refers to the holding of rights over an intellectual property asset, and determines who has the right to control and use the work. On the other hand, assignment refers to the act of transferring the ownership rights to a new party and is a legally valid transfer of rights.

How do you give credit to a copyright owner?

You can copy part of a work and not be in breach of copyright, so long as it is not a substantial portion of that work, The test for what is a “substantial” part is both a qualitative and quantitative test. While copying a very small part of a larger written work is not going to be a breach of copyright, to avoid plagiarism, you should still acknowledge who wrote the words you are quoting.

In any event, you should give credit to the copyright owner. So state in writing that you have quoted from the author, stating their name, and that you do not claim ownership of the quoted words or intend any copyright breach.

For songs and music, generally you cannot copy any distinct part without permission and the payment of royalties. This includes the melody, lyrics, notes or chords and the rhythm. In terms of sampling a music recording, you cannot do this at all without permission. There have been many legal cases over unauthorised sampling. Our favourite one is where Sting, reportedly, gets paid US$2,000 a day by P Diddy for his unauthorised heavy sampling of Every Breath You Take in 1997. This is reportedly all of the profits from the unauthorised song.

Do I have to register copyright in the UK? How much does it cost to register a copyright UK?

No, registration is not possible at all in the UK to establish copyright. This is because the law automatically grants copyright protection to the creator upon the creation of an original work in a finished form. However, posting a printed copy of your copyright material to yourself and leaving it in a sealed envelope with the Post Office’s date stamp on it can provide evidence of the date you created it and can therefore sometimes be helpful in legal disputes.

What is an example of a copyright disclaimer?

A copyright disclaimer is a statement that you can use to:

• clarify the copyright status of a piece of work, or
• make clear how others can use the work.

Here is an example:

“This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.”