Copyright allows the owner to prevent unauthorised use, copying, distribution or performance of original works (including software code), such as making copies or publishing the work on the internet. In the UK, copyright arises automatically on creation of the work and does not need to be registered. Copyright protection lasts from the creation of the work until 70 years after the death of the author.
To indicate that you are relying on copyright protection for your work, you can use the copyright symbol (©), stating your business name and the year of creation. Whether you mark the work or not does not affect the level of protection you have.
You should seek legal advice if you believe your intellectual property is being infringed – failure to enforce your rights can result in your rights being diluted or lost.
Learn More: UK Founder Series: Protecting Your Ideas