SKUBA
Hong Kong base / International coordination

Copyright.
Know the work. Clarify its use.

Original work has a business life beyond the first draft.

Software, artwork, publications and commercial content can involve several creators and several intended uses. We help you organise the work, examine ownership and permissions questions, and coordinate the next steps for protection, licensing or a concern about copying.

The work, the contributors and the permissionsFIG. 05
Three-dimensional creative-work desk with a bound manuscript, artwork, source-code sheet, permissions record and pencil.
  1. 01 Original material
  2. 02 Contributions
  3. 03 Permission to use

Illustrative original materials—not a copyright registration, legal instrument or client work. Copyright basics · WIPO ↗

Make the rights position easier to understand and manage.

A website, a software release or a product campaign may combine commissioned design, in-house writing, photography and code. We help you turn that mixed collection into a clearer picture of the works involved, the contributors and the uses the business needs.

This is a useful discussion when commissioning creative work, preparing a licence, launching a digital product or reviewing material supplied by someone else. Start with an inventory and the business objective; the relevant records and agreements can follow through an agreed channel.

How we can support you

  • Original-work and rights reviews
  • Contributor and ownership enquiries
  • Permission and licence-scoping support
  • Software and creative-content IP support
  • Relevant registration coordination
  • Copying concerns and specialist coordination

How the work fits together

  1. 01

    Identify the works and their history

    We help organise the material by work, version and contributor. Creation records, existing agreements and any third-party content are useful inputs for deciding which ownership and protection questions need further assessment.

  2. 02

    Clarify intended uses and permissions

    We discuss who needs to use, adapt, publish or license the material and for what purpose. That brief helps identify gaps in permissions or contractual arrangements and the specialist review that may be appropriate.

  3. 03

    Coordinate the appropriate next step

    Depending on the work and jurisdiction, this may involve a rights review, licence-related support, relevant registration procedures or a carefully scoped response to suspected copying. We do not present copyright as a universal filing requirement.

Protect the expression. Examine the ownership.

Copyright concerns original expression rather than an idea alone. In many countries protection arises automatically, but that does not remove the practical need to understand ownership, permitted uses and evidence. The position for employees, contractors and commissioned works depends on the applicable law and agreements.

A useful brief for our first conversation

  • A non-confidential description of the works and how the business intends to use them.
  • Who created or supplied each part, and whether employee, contractor or licence agreements exist.
  • Any publication history, third-party material or immediate concern about unauthorised use.

There is no need to upload source code or a complete creative archive with your first enquiry. Describe the issue, and we will agree what information is needed for the next step.

A useful starting point: How creative work fits into a wider IP plan ↗

Services, deliverables and responsibilities are agreed for each engagement. Jurisdiction-specific regulated work and local representation involve appropriately qualified practitioners where required. General information is not advice on a particular matter, and no search, application or commercial result is guaranteed.

Background reading: WIPO — Copyright ↗. General principles vary in application by jurisdiction.