Copyright, Design and Patents Act (1988)

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, is the current UK copyright law. It was enacted as an update to the dated 1956 Copyright Act. It gives the creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works the right to control the ways in which their material may be used. 

The rights cover:

•  Broadcast and public performance
• Copying
• Adapting
• Issuing 
• renting and lending copies to the public

For an example, if you were to buy software then copyright would forbid you from:

• Giving a copy to a friend
• Making a copy and then selling it
• Using the software on a network (unless the licence allows it)
• Renting the software without permission of the copyright holder

Essentially, the 1988 Act and amendment establishes that copyright in most works lasts until 70 years after the death of the creator if known, otherwise 70 years after the work was created or published. If it is for sound recordings the act lasts for 50 years after the recording or film was made, this is the same rule for broadcasts and TV shows. For typographical arrangements the copyright will last 25 years after the edition is published. 

Example of court cases

Wai Dat Chan and his company Playables imported and sold devices which are widely used to help people to play unlicensed versions of games for the Nintendo DS games console. Nintendo are one of the most efficient company's when it comes to their products so they cought on to this quickly. The company allowed people to play pirated Nintendo DS video games infringed copyright and broke laws forbidding the circumvention of copy-protection technology. This was done through their 'mod chips'.  

Bibliography:

 Wikipedia. (2016). Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright,_Designs_and_Patents_Act_1988 [Accessed 10 Oct. 2016]

Bbc.co.uk. (2016). BBC - GCSE Bitesize: Copyright law. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/legal/2copyrightrev1.shtml [Accessed 10 Oct. 2016]

Sqa.org.uk. (2016). Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. [online] Available at: http://www.sqa.org.uk/e-learning/ProfIssues02CD/page_09.htm [Accessed 10 Oct. 2016]

Copyright Service. (2016). UK copyright law. [online] Available at: https://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/uk_law_summary [Accessed 10 Oct. 2016]

Google.co.uk. (2016). Copyright, Design and Patents Act (1988) - Image [online] Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Copyright,+Design+and+Patents+Act+(1988)&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKucCenNHPAhVLDMAKHQ77AZ0Q_AUICCgB&biw=1046&bih=946#imgrc=EUxUN5-QWFODuM%3A [Accessed 10 Oct. 2016]

Bell, G. (2016). Nintendo mod chip seller infringed copyright, rules High Court . [online] Out-law.com. Available at: http://www.out-law.com/page-11268 [Accessed 11 Oct. 2016]