Copyright registration in the UK: there’s no official register. Here’s what to keep instead

Can you register copyright in the UK?

No. GOV.UK’s guide How copyright protects your work says:

“You get copyright protection automatically – you do not have to apply or pay a fee. There is not a register of copyright works in the UK.”

If you have questions, the same page points you to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Customer Support Centre. When we checked, it listed information@ipo.gov.uk and 0300 300 2000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Check the page for current details before you call.

What’s protected automatically in the UK

According to GOV.UK, copyright protects your work, including:

• “original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography”
• “original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases”
• “sound and music recordings”
• “film and television recordings”
• “broadcasts”
• “the layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works”

GOV.UK’s broader guide, Intellectual property and your work, sums up the difference between copyright and other rights: “You get some types of protection automatically, others you have to apply for.” Copyright is one of the automatic ones.

Is there free copyright registration in the UK?

There’s nothing official to register, free or paid. As GOV.UK says, protection is automatic and you do not have to pay a fee.

So when you see “free copyright registration UK” offered online, it’s a private record-keeping service. Some are free and some charge. They aren’t part of the UK copyright system, and using one (or not) doesn’t change whether your work is protected.

What “UK copyright registration certificate” sites actually give you

A private registration site typically gives you a dated record of what you uploaded or declared to that company. That can be useful as one record among others. But it’s worth being clear about what it is:

• It isn’t issued by the IPO or any government body.
• It doesn’t create copyright. Your work was already protected.
• How useful it is depends on the provider: what they store, how long they keep it, and how you’d show the record to someone else later.

Read the terms before you pay. If you’re comparing services that hold a copy of your work, our page on Safe Creative and Copyrighted.com alternatives explains how they differ from a timestamp.

Traditional ways to date your work

Two older methods still come up often.

Posting a copy to yourself. You seal the work in an envelope, post it and keep it unopened. What it shows: a postmark date on an envelope. Weak spots: the postmark is on the envelope, not on the contents, and envelopes can be opened and resealed. It’s also hard to tie a printout or disc to one exact digital file. See a better alternative to poor man’s copyright.

Leaving a sealed copy with a solicitor or bank. What it shows: a record that a package was deposited on a date. Weak spots: the record usually describes the package, not an exact digital file, and someone has to keep it safe and find it again later.

Emailing it to yourself is the modern version. It gives a dated message, but you control both ends, and email dates can be questioned. Our comparison of timestamps vs emailing yourself covers this in more detail.

None of these methods are required for copyright in the UK. They are ways of keeping a dated record.

Digital records that show when your work existed

The clearest picture usually comes from several records that agree with each other:

• drafts and earlier versions
• original source files, such as layered images, music projects or code history
• version history from your writing or design tools
• emails and messages where you shared or discussed the work
• publication records, such as the date something went online

Independent timestamps add a record you didn’t make yourself. TimeBinder works out a hash of each file on your device. A hash is a fingerprint of the file: a short code calculated from the file’s exact contents. Only the fingerprint is recorded, and your file is never uploaded. That fingerprint is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain. Later, the TimeBind shows that an exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and that the file you have still matches its fingerprint. There’s a step-by-step explanation on how TimeBinder works.

Each TimeBind can include up to 10 files. There are two types:

• Pooled (1 Token). Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ and recorded on Bitcoin, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder. The Free plan’s monthly Token covers one Pooled TimeBind.
• ASAP (3 Tokens). It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, sent straight away. It can be checked independently with the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain, without relying on TimeBinder.

Your options compared

If you want someone else to keep a copy of your work, a deposit or storage service fits that job better than a TimeBind. TimeBinder never receives your files. For the wider picture, see copyright registration vs a timestamp.

When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool

• You only need copyright itself. You already have it. Doing nothing extra is a fine choice for a lot of work.
• You want someone to hold a copy of your work. TimeBinder never receives your files, so it can’t store them for you.
• You need to show who made the work or who owns it. A timestamp can’t do that. Contracts, drafts, messages and witnesses are what speak to it.
• You’re already in a dispute. Records made at the time count most. Speak to a solicitor rather than relying on anything created now.

Which plan fits

Most people dating the odd finished piece can stay on the Free plan: 1 Token a month, enough for one Pooled TimeBind. The Free plan’s monthly Token doesn’t roll over. If you date work most weeks, the pricing page lists Essential at $20 a month for 5 Tokens and Expert at $50 a month for 15 Tokens. Each paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token. Extra Tokens are $5 each, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40. Prices are in US dollars. Our guide to which plan you need walks through it.

If you’re commissioned or employed

Who owns the copyright isn’t always the person who made the work. GOV.UK’s Intellectual property and your work says that if you’re self-employed, “you usually own the intellectual property even if your work was commissioned by someone else – unless your contract with them gives them the rights.”

For employees, the same guide says: “You usually will not own the intellectual property for something you created as part of your work while you were employed by someone else.”

Contracts can change the position, so ask a solicitor to look at yours if ownership matters.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country.

When to get advice

For general questions about UK copyright, contact the IPO Customer Support Centre using the details on GOV.UK’s copyright page. For a dispute, a contract or licensing, speak to a solicitor.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country.