Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

What does Copyright mean? In legal practice, copyright protects how original creative works are used, licensed and monetised. It is a statutory intellectual property right that arises automatically on creation (no registration) and gives the owner exclusive rights to copy, issue copies to the public, perform, show or play, communicate to the public and adapt the work. Across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, copyright is defined and governed by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. In Ireland, it is governed by the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. Protected subject matter includes literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, films, sound recordings,...

Cross‑border copyright enforcement: national treatment, key treaties, jurisdiction (including online infringements) and post‑Brexit litigation considerations

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note sets out a concise overview of mechanisms for enforcing Copyright across borders.

An international system of copyright Enforcement

Copyright is a territorial intellectual property right, safeguarding a work only within the bounds of a single country. As early as the nineteenth century, this limitation was acknowledged as a challenge for rights holders. Copying abroad became simpler, yet owners had no recourse, since their rights were recognised solely in their home jurisdiction and carried no force beyond it. As a result, demands grew for a unified international approach to copyright.

Such a framework now operates, built on four conventions. Central to it is the rule of national treatment: a copyright holder is treated as though they are a national of the country where the Infringement occurs and may invoke that country’s copyright laws. Those wishing to rely on this international regime must be ready to bring actions in overseas courts, accepting the additional complications and expense that this may entail...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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