How do I licence use of my copyright?

As a copyright owner, it is for you to decide whether and how to license use of your work.

An exclusive licence could be granted, but remember that this enables the licensee to use the copyright work to the exclusion of all others, including the copyright owner. Any licence agreed can relate to one or more of the economic rights and can also be limited in time or any other way. It is a contractual agreement between the copyright owner and user.

In some situations, copyright owners find it difficult to license use of their works by themselves and so they have formed organisations, called collecting societies or collective licensing bodies.

Sometimes people may be able to argue that a copyright work is subject to an implied licence even when there has been no agreement about a licence.