Copyright in production masterclass

From script to screen, copyright touches every stage of television production. This practical online session demystifies the key legal principles producers need to understand to avoid risk and stay creative. 

Presented by Nigel Abbas of ABBAS Media Law, we'll cover the basics of copyright – what it protects, who owns it, and how it applies to everyday production decisions.

We'll explore common issues like incidental inclusion, and the rules around fair dealing – focusing on use for criticism, review, and quotation. What can you legally include without a licence? What are the limits of “fair dealing”? When is it safe to rely on an "await claim"?

We'll also look at how copyright interacts with emerging challenges – including the use of AI-generated content and rights clearance in an increasingly digital and fast-moving production environment.

Whatever genre you're working on - documentary, drama, entertainment etc - this session offers practical guidance and clear examples to help you navigate copyright confidently and creatively.

This session will be delivered by Zoom, with captioning available.

This event is FREE for PMA members, those on the PMA's Recommended Junior Production Staff list and PMA Sponsors. For everyone else the cost is £40 per person, payable in advance.

Register by emailing pma@pma.org.uk.

Bursary applicable

There are ScreenSkills bursaries available to cover some or all of the costs of this training course - including travel, accommodation, subsistence, care or disability access support to attend this course. To find out more about the support you may be eligible for, click the button below:

Apply for a bursary

About this listing

This training course is not funded or commissioned by ScreenSkills, but has been reviewed to ensure it is meeting agreed standards such as industry-led diversity targets, appropriate business insurance, and evidence of previous quality training provision.