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Copyright Guide

This guide will help you to find out how copyright affects your study, research and work here at the University of Derby. Please note that information on these pages is for guidance only: it should not be construed as formal legal advice.

Examples of copyrighted materials

Published illustrations, including images, figures and tables

A certain amount of purely illustrative material is possible in your thesis, but don't use too much from any one source. Limited amounts of images can be used when critically discussed within your thesis under the 'criticism and review' exception with fair-dealing, as mentioned earlier. Ask for permission if you are in any doubt.

Maps

Maps from Ordnance Survey® and Digimap® all need to be checked for copyright restrictions. When using a map from a book, check who owns the copyright and seek permission if necessary.

Photographs

If you did not take the photo(s) in your thesis then permission must be sought from either the photographer or the copyright holder. These might not be the same person. You own the copyright to photos taken by yourself. It is advisable to put a copyright statement beneath each of your own photos to make this clear. If any of your photos are of people, you need their permission to use the photo(s) in your digital thesis. If the people are incidental to the photo and not the main focus of the image then permission is not needed. Permission is not required if the people in the photo(s) are deceased. However, consider the nature or use of the photos and how this might distress any friends and relatives. It is particularly important to obtain permission when using images of children.

Material from the web

Content on web pages is NOT free to use in any way you wish. Check the terms and conditions on web pages to see what uses of the content are permitted. Also bear in mind that an author/creator does not need to apply for copyright, nor does the copyright mark © need to be displayed for copyright to cover an item. Also bear in mind that many web pages displaying material you wish to use may not have obtained permission to use it themselves. The author or creator of the web page may not be the copyright holder.

Material from museums and archives

Using material from museums and archives that is still under copyright:

  • You must have written permission of the museum or archive, both to include it in your thesis, and to make it publicly available online, whether as part of your thesis on UDORA, or elsewhere.
  • You must also acknowledge the permission of the museum or archive - they may provide standard text for you to use. See the box entitled 'Asking Permissions' for guidance on how to request permission.

Using images of objects in museums and archives that are out of copyright:

  • According to a legal judgement in November 2023, the museum or archive should not charge a fee for supplying or allowing an image to be reproduced. An image of an out-of-copyright object is not itself subject to copyright law, and can be considered to be in the public domain, and free to re-use. As this is a recent change, it is not certain how long it will take for institutions to adapt to this (or indeed if they will resist it).
  • However, you should acknowledge the museum or archive - they may provide standard text for you to use. This is so that readers know where to find the object if they wish to look at it.

Other categories of material

Seek advice from the Copyright Officer if you are considering the use of:

  • Audiovisual material
  • Musical scores
  • Multimedia
  • Other types of material not listed in this document