An Assignment of Copyright is used whenever one person, or a company, wants to sell and/or transfer some or all of the intellectual property rights in a Copyright work to another person or company. Assignments effectively change the ownership of the intellectual property rights assigned, leaving the original owner with no further rights.

An assignment is used to confirm a transfer of ownership. If the Copyright Works in question have previously been paid for the rights are sold for £1 to ensure that the assignment is legal. Where they are being sold for a price the value should be inserted. Careful thought should be given to the value of the intellectual property rights whenever the rights are being sold for their full value in an ‘arm’s length transaction’ (such as on the sale of a business), rather than for a nominal amount.

Examples of where you might use an Assignment of Copyright:

When you wish to transfer ownership of a two dimensional unregistered work which has automatic copyright from / to an Artist, Author, Creator of Software, Graphic Designer, Photographer or anyone who creates visual 2 dimensional works which are subject to automatic Copyright protection.

How to use an Assignment of Copyright:

This Agreement is a standard form precedent so you will need to insert your details.

Ensure you have used all clauses required, and deleted those that aren’t.

The assignment states £1. Obtain legal advice if updating to an agreed fee.

The agreement should be signed and returned to you before you proceed with the arrangement.

Tip: Save the document to the ACID IP Databank for that all-important audit trail!

Remember: This is a generic legal agreement and therefore some parts may not be appropriate for your specific circumstances. We strongly advise you check the final draft with your solicitor or ACID Legal Affiliate to ensure that the document suits your particular circumstances.

No liability is accepted by ACID or any ACID Accredited Law Firm.