Legal issues

*Starwars copyright* (bullet points)


IP Law

Most businesses rely on new products, eye catching designs or a great brand.
IP law is to protect you from having your ideas exploited by other people.

4 Types of IP:
Trade marks - used by business to protect their brands. You can register a trademark in the UK, across Europe or anywhere else. They can be used for a name, a logo, or both. They can be a valuable long term investment. They need renewing every 10 years.
Design rights - If people buy things because of the way that it looks e.g clothes, then you have to think about design rights. Registered design rights are not expensive, but cover you here and abroad. If you don't have it registered, they could get a free unregistered version.
Copyright - Automatically exists for documents, maps, websites, apps and photos. You can create any           of these in your business and they will automatically be copyrighted and free. This                               will last up to 70 years after your death. If you pay someone to create something in your business, they will have copyright over it, but if it is specifically contracted that they don't have ownership of it.
Patents - If you invent a new product or process, you should think about patents. They could last for up to 20 years. Unlike a design right, it could be complicated and expensive, but you should do it for the product. You should seek special help for this. 

Freedom of Information Act

Data Protection Act
Uk law that all businesses in the UK have to abide by 8 principals. Breaking one breaks the whole act. The average person living in the UK has over 4,000 pieces of information stored and collected in databases every week. This act states that all this information is to be stored fairly and securely in the UK. The personal information the shops have requires out consent
, and should only be kept for the reason it was collected for, it should always be accurate and always be kept up to date. It should only be kept for as long as needed, it should always be made available to the customer, should be processed securely within the UK. Its not just the law, but morally correct.

Copyright, designs and patents act 1988
We have access to games, videos, films, music ETC. The people who make these things aren't making money for them because they are downloaded illegally. Legally consuming media is governed and overlooked by UK government law.

Libel
Libel is a method of defamation expressed by print, writing, pictures, signs, effigies, or any communication embodied in physical form that is injurious to a person's reputation, exposes a person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, or injures a person in his/her business or profession.

Slander

This is the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.

Human rights:
They are the rights that keep society fair, just and right. Everyone is entitled to human rights. If you feel like someone is breaking your rights you can take it to law. We had kings that ruled the country who decided who had human rights, but people started to fight for them, however next the dictators took them away. After World War 2, people came together to agree on 'European Convention on Human Rights'. Rights to life, right of liberty, freedom of speech. In 1998, the UK made the Human Rights Act. Public places should protect our rights. They can't keep your DNA if you are innocent if you have been convicted