What should be done to protect your copyrights when commissioning work to a contractor   more »

Do you play music in the background of your shop or office and wondered whether you need to play money to the relevant collecting society?   more »

The US Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has voted to keep the current online music royalty rates the same, without a fee increase of 9 cents to 15. Each time a consumer purchases a song on a CD or downloads a music track online, musicians and record studios earn 9.1 percent. If the CRB had agreed upon a higher royalty rate, online retailers like Apple iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody would have increased the price they sell their songs for. The digital music business is now a multi-billion industry that grew 38 percent from 2006 to 2007. There will also be a royalty rate of 24 percent for each mobile phone ringtone sold, which is similar to the 10 percent industry wide revenue sharing for each $2.50 ringtone sold.

Database

A database is a structured collection of data. The legal definition of a database is set out in s3A(1) ...   more »

Although copyrights and trade marks are under the same umbrella of Intellectual Property rights, the two are often mistaken to be one of the same. In fact the two are separate and distinct.   more »

An issue over the rate of music royalties composers and songwriters should be paid for their work has emerged in the US. Apple is threatening to shut down its iTunes Store if told to pay artists higher royalties...   more »

By Riyaz Jariwalla

As solicitors we hear great ideas/inventions however on many occasions we have to break the bad news ...   more »

Been sent a letter from Davenport Lyons Solicitors for downloading a game? See what our Michael Coyle, Solicitor-Advocate had to say on this point.   more »