Safety Centre

The Industry Trust

Since 2004 The Industry Trust has been helping to protect creative ideas and secure the livelihoods of the 150,000 people that work in film and TV in the UK. eBay works closely with the Industry Trust to help protect copyright and to celebrate the UK film and TV industries.

What is copyright?

Copyright protects the physical expression of ideas for their creators and their owners. As soon as an idea is given physical form, whether it’s a piece of writing, a photograph, music, a film, a webpage or an image, it is protected by copyright. There’s no need to register or to claim copyright, protection is automatic at the point of creation and covers both published and unpublished material.

Copyright theft

Copyright theft is a big issue for everyone – the consumer, the film and TV industries and communities. The simple message is don’t buy a fake DVD or download illegal content. It’s not a victimless crime and it could backfire making you the victim. By buying or accessing knock-off films, content or music, you’re likely to receive a much poorer quality product and won’t be supporting the hard work of those that produced the original.

What you can do

Sign up to the new Industry Trust campaign “Connected to British Film and TV” and pledge your support to the British film and TV industry at www.connectedtobritishfilmandtv.co.uk.

See stars and crew from the British film industry talk about the effect piracy has on the funding of future films and the British film industry as a whole at www.industrytrust.co.uk.

Additional site navigation