Comments on: Why is this motion picture created for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom?

Question: Why is this motion picture created for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom?

Mwongozi — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:01:10 -0800

Why do movie credits always contain the line "This motion picture was created by <company> for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom"?

I live in the UK so it took me a long time to realise that we didn't get special versions of the credits containing this line. USA credits have the line too. What's special about the UK that requires this line?

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:28:44 -0800

Perhaps some of the music has changed, due to the vagaries of copyright law and licensing and so forth.

By: Mwongozi

Mwongozi — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:42:23 -0800

Except that you see this line even when watching American movies in American theatres.

By: brianogilvie

brianogilvie — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:19:39 -0800

I'm not an expert, but UK copyright law recognizes a "moral right" of a creator to be designated the author of a book, film, video, etc.; my presumption is that the statement is intended to ensure that the production company, rather than the director/screenwriter/whatever, is legally the creator and holds any moral rights.

By: rkent

rkent — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:14:07 -0800

Probably something to do with the Work for hire doctrine. That doesn't distinguish it from US law per se, but maybe the UK has some kind of notice provision that requires it to be placed in the credits. Maybe it's just a convention. I am not a UK intellectual property lawyer.

By: joeclark

joeclark — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:51:18 -0800

It's for assertion of moral right or droit moral, which does not exist in U.S. law.