How to check a UK copywriting agency's company status and word ownership

What to take away

Why company status checks matter before commissioning copy

Commissioning copy is a commercial risk. If the agency is dissolved, dormant or in liquidation, you may lose deposits, continuity or the ability to enforce terms. Company status tells you whether the entity you are paying still exists and can trade. That matters when you are buying copywriting services for a campaign with fixed deadlines.

A status check also reveals filing history. Late accounts or a proposal to strike off are warning signs. They do not prove the agency is bad, but they justify asking questions before you commit. In the UK, most limited companies and limited liability partnerships file at Companies House, so the record is public and free to search.

Sole traders are different. They do not appear on the Companies House register in the same way, so verify them through the GOV.UK 'Check a UK VAT number' service, professional body membership, references and bank details. The same due diligence logic applies, but the evidence base is thinner. For a broader method, see our guide to vendor due diligence.

Status checks are not a substitute for legal advice. They are a first filter. If the agency is a company, you can confirm its legal name, number, registered office and current status in minutes. If it is not, ask why and get comfortable with the answer.

Using Companies House to verify an agency

Companies House is the UK registrar for company information. You can search by name or company number. The free service shows company status, incorporation date, registered office address, directors and filing history. Use the company number on the agency's invoice or letterhead to avoid confusion with similarly named firms. The search itself costs nothing; Companies House lists its charges for extras such as certified copies in its published fees on GOV.UK.

Check the company status first. Active means the company is trading and filings are up to date. Liquidation, administration, receivership or voluntary arrangement mean the company is insolvent or being wound up. Dissolved means it no longer exists. A proposal to strike off is a live warning that the registrar intends to remove it.

Then check filing history. Look for late accounts, overdue confirmation statements (filed as form CS01) or a recent change of directors. A sudden change of registered office to a mass-mailing address can indicate instability. A voluntary strike-off application (form DS01) or a registrar's proposal to strike off is a stronger warning. None of these is conclusive, but they inform your questions.

Follow these steps to verify a copywriting agency on Companies House:

For a wider set of checks, including insurance and references, use a selection checklist.

Contract terms that confirm word ownership

Copyright in written words is a property right. It arises automatically when the work is created and recorded. The author is usually the first owner, unless the work was made by an employee in the course of employment, in which case the employer owns it.

Freelance and agency work is different: the writer or agency typically owns copyright unless there is a written assignment.

That is why contract terms matter. A clause that says the client owns the copy is not enough on its own if it does not operate as an assignment. Under section 90(3) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, an assignment of copyright must be in writing and signed by or on behalf of the assignor.

A licence, by contrast, can be oral or implied, but it gives you permission to use the words rather than ownership of them.

If the contract is silent, ask for a written assignment — a deed of assignment signed by or on behalf of the agency is the cleanest route. A licence may be enough for a one-off campaign, but it leaves you exposed if you want to reuse the words, adapt them or register them as a trade mark. Before you sign, check who owns the words.

Copyright and IP basics for delivered copy

Copyright protects original literary works under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, including website copy, blog posts, scripts and slogans of sufficient originality. It does not protect ideas, facts or news as such. In the UK, protection is automatic and there is no registration requirement. That makes the contract the main evidence of ownership.

Ownership can be split. The agency may own the words, a photographer may own the images, and a font foundry may own the typeface. Your contract should map each element. If you commission a film or a multi-author report, you may need assignments from each contributor.

For an overview of the different rights, see the GOV.UK guide to intellectual property types and uses.

The UK Intellectual Property Office publishes a step-by-step route to securing IP rights, which is useful when you want to protect a brand name or a tagline built from delivered copy. See Get intellectual property rights: step-by-step.

Practical points for buyers:

For the statutory basics, see the GOV.UK guidance on copyright protection in the UK.

Due diligence checklist for agency status and ownership

Due diligence combines the public record with the contract. It is not a one-off task. Repeat it when you renew, when the agency changes hands or when you commission a new type of work. The cost of a missed check is usually higher than the cost of the check itself.

Use this checklist before you sign and again before you pay the final invoice:

If you are comparing several agencies, run the same checks on each so the supplier comparison is fair. GOV.UK's business and self-employed section has broader guidance on contracts, tax and record keeping for UK buyers.

Common questions