As the famous Pablo Picasso once said: “Bad artists copy. Good artists steal” (Whittaker 2008, p.131). The focus of this essay is on copyright and the laws and legislation put in place to support this right. The presence of copyright is needed particularly by focusing on intellectual property rights in films and the opportunity to implement it not only to protect the rights of artists but also to promote future creativity in the sector. The definition of copyright is the exclusive right to make copies of and control the literary, musical or artistic work for a certain number of years; in the UK it is 70 years from the death of the artist or producer or from the date of publication whichever is later. In this context we are evaluating whether it is in cinema and whether the laws put in place protect artists and the works they produce. Looking at the origins of copyright in the UK we see that it was originally designed to protect the work of the author in the early part of the 18th century from an artistic approach, but by the end of the century it had changed not only to protect the works of author but also to protect the exclusive right of the publication itself. This meant that the people who held the publishing rights would also have the copyright to protect the publications they printed, as Patterson states: “Copyright, in short, was to become a concept embracing all the rights one might have in relation to to published works, whether by the author or publisher... the change made copyright monopolistic in a way that the stationer's copyright had never been. (1968, p.155.) This change in the law is still visible today and may be why copyright laws can be considered problematic, as it is not just about looking at a… medium of paper… . ..Jackson, P. (2011). Lucas loses Star Wars copyright case in Supreme Court. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12910683. Last accessed: 20 December 2011. Jewett, S (2008). The Land of Fir Trees in Punta. London: Nu Vision Publications. P.122Patterson, L (1968). Copyright in historical perspective. United States: Vanderbilt University Press. p151.Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, 1977. [Film] Directed by George Lucas. USA: LucasFilm.X Factor, 2006 [TV]. SYCO ITV Television Productions. September 1 – December 12 8pm.Thompson, M. (2011). UK Court of Justice squashes George Lucas copyright case. Available: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111930-UK-Court-Force-Chokes-George-Lucass-Copyright-Lawsuit. Last accessed: 22 December 2011. Whittaker, A (2008). Speak Culture: Spain: Be fluent in Spanish life and culture. London: Thorogood. P.131.