Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Core UK legislation governing intellectual property rights, including authors' rights, duration of copyright protection, moral rights provisions, and the assignment and licensing of rights in publishing contracts
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Legislation governing how third parties may enforce terms of a contract, relevant for subsidiary rights and third-party permissions in publishing agreements
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Legislation protecting consumer rights and ensuring fairness of contract terms, potentially applicable if the author could be considered a consumer
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Legal framework for personal data protection, relevant for handling author information and international data transfers in publishing contracts
Common Law Contract Principles: Fundamental principles including offer, acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations that form the basis of any valid contract
Equitable Principles: Legal principles covering confidentiality obligations and fiduciary duties between contracting parties
Industry Standards: Publishing industry standards, including Society of Authors guidelines and Publishers Association best practices
International Copyright Conventions: International agreements including the Berne Convention and Universal Copyright Convention governing cross-border copyright protection and publishing rights
