Copyright

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 covers all designers or creators rights to control how their material is used, regardless of whether it is literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, sounds or films. It is an automatic right when work is created as long as it is original and shows a degree of labour, skill or judgement. The work may not necessarily belong to the person who created it, for example if the person who created it did it for their employer they will be the 'first owner of copyright'. Copyright can be sold or go in someone else's name if there is a previous contractual agreement. The duration of the copyright varies for different types of media, but for films it is stated to be:
'70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last principal director, author or composer dies. If the work is of unknown authorship: 70 years from end of the calendar year of creation, or if made available to the public in that time, 70 years from the end of the year the film was first made available.'
It is against the law to copy the work, lend copies to the public, show the work in public or adapt the work without permission. To avoid breaking these laws I will use only my own material, and if I need to use music I will check the copyright laws regarding it.