Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Primary legislation governing intellectual property rights, including author's rights, duration of copyright protection, moral rights, assignment and licensing of rights, and digital rights management provisions
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Legislation governing how third parties may enforce terms of a contract and provisions for excluding third-party rights in contractual agreements
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Key legislation for consumer protection, covering fairness of contract terms, transparency requirements, and consumer protection provisions when the author is contracting as a consumer
Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002: Regulations governing electronic commerce and digital distribution, including requirements for electronic contracting and online business practices
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Legislation governing the processing of personal data, including data storage, usage rights, and international data transfers in publishing operations
Equality Act 2010: Legislation ensuring non-discrimination and fair treatment in contractual relationships and business practices
Common Law Principles: Fundamental legal principles covering contract formation, consideration, capacity to contract, misrepresentation, and remedies for breach of contract
Publishing Industry Standards: Non-legislative industry-specific standards including standard royalty calculations, publishing terms, and distribution channel requirements
