Proving Ownership: The Importance of Copyrighting Your Art
17 November 2024
Protecting the work you create
In the UK, there is no official copyright registration service for artwork. As soon as you create an original piece — a painting, illustration, drawing, or digital design — copyright exists automatically. The challenge is not creating the right, but being able to prove you hold it if someone else copies or claims your work.
Previously, a common practice to assert ownership of a piece of art involved mailing a copy of the work to yourself and keeping the sealed, postmarked envelope as a dated record. However, this approach lacks reliability as it relies on the envelope remaining unopened and intact indefinitely, which is unlikely. It is far better to get a 3rd party to help you prove ownership.
How long does your copyright last?
Copyright law varies from country to country. In the United Kingdom, copyright protection for artistic works lasts for 70 years following the death of the artist, concluding at the end of the respective calendar year. For artwork originating outside the European Economic Area (EEA), the duration of copyright aligns with the protection period granted in its country of origin, as long as it doesn't surpass the 70-year threshold.
Proving Ownership
Sometimes more than one artist or illustrator claims to have created a piece, and a dispute arises — whether over a painting, a character design, or a piece of digital artwork. Resolving these disputes is often a hard thing to accomplish and each artist must provide evidence to show they made it first. Some countries have official copyright registration systems. The US, for example, has one. The UK does not. Either way, additional documentation is crucial in proving who was first. This includes information on creation dates of the work and dates of earlier drafts or sketches.
We believe it's really important to keep a clear and accurate record of your artwork and when it was created, preferably with the data secured safely in a location held by an independent authority. This date gives rightful protection and validates ownership. It provides excellent evidence you were the person who created the work.
Using Copyright Solved
Our service is a great way to prove ownership of your work in a fast, efficient, secure and accurate way. We record all the details of your artwork, including the title, the creator, the filename and the date of upload. We link these details to a digital certificate, which is stored securely on our servers, ready for you to download anytime you wish.
Register with Copyright Solved now to start your protection journey.