Legality Issues – Basic Terms
Copyright: Copyright in a work (script, film, music, artwork, etc.) resides with the author or creator. It is a right of ownership which can be transferred or licensed to another, e.g. a Producer. Usually you cannot copyright an idea, only how an idea has been expressed. Intellectual Property (IP): A product that is the result of creativity (especially one with commercial worth) such as patents, trademarks and copyright. For example it could mean copyright of literary or artistic works. IP can cause problems and specifies different legal rights and activities which the author or creator may exercise in their work. Licensee: A person or party to whom a licence is granted or issued. Licensor: A person who gives another a licence. Ancillary Rights: Subsidiary rights i.e. merchandising rights, books, and sequels. Royalties: These are ongoing payments that are made to a creator of (or participant in) an artistic work (e.g. composer, author, and performer) based upon sales of that work
Royalty-Free: Royalty-free can be used to describe media (such as graphics, photos, music etc.) that is bought for a one-off fee allowing it to be used for profit, without payment of royalties (ongoing payment) Further Reading: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/musicians-benefit-from-extendedcopyright-term-for-sound-recordings