Copyright and street art

Street art occupies an ever more prominent place in our towns and cities. The status achieved by street art has been accompanied by conflict about the placement of murals, the destruction and decontextualization of works, and the misappropriation of street art. It follows that there are a range of effected/interested parties, including the artist, city and town councils, community residents, community organisations and a wider artistic community. Central to this project is the copyright protection of street art under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. The intention is to outline the implications of the Act in an accessible and clear way. As part of this, the project examines the requirements for copyright protection, authorship and ownership, moral rights, and the public display of a work. The report is informed by a review of relevant case law and academic commentary on these issues.