Copyright infringement letter

If you own the UK copyright in something (e.g. a photo) and someone has infringed it, this letter can help stop any further infringement. It will also demand information to help you work out:

• the full extent of the infringement, and
• how much (if any) compensation you might want to seek.

You can use it if someone has copied all or a substantial part of your work without permission, or if someone is doing something with a copy made by someone else (e.g. selling, hiring, offering, distributing or exhibiting it).

For the purposes of this letter, the work must fall into either of these categories:

• Artistic works: e.g. photographs, paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures, structures, graphic designs, logos
• Literary works: i.e. anything (with some exceptions) that is written, spoken or sung. E.g. novels, short stories, poems, song lyrics, but also things like articles, design specs, reports, plans, computer programs, tables/compilations or (in some cases) databases.

You can't use this letter in relation to:

• Dramatic works (e.g. a play script or screenplay)
• Musical works (e.g. a musical score)
• Sound recordings, films or broadcasts
• Typographical arrangements of published editions.

You also can't use it if you have a licence (i.e. permission) to exploit the copyright in a work, but aren't the owner.