There are millions of examples of original works online,
including images, songs, sounds, maps and  films.

Every original work belongs to a person or an organisation.
They own the copyright for that piece of work.

You can’t automatically use something you see online
just because you like it. 

However, there are rules that allow you to use some works for school and you need to know about the ways that you are allowed to use these original works.

1. Private research

Many creators allow you to copy their work, so long as it is for your own private research or homework. You don’t have the right to publish it, in print or online without permission.

2. Educational Purpose Licences

There is a special licence called Educational Purposes just for learners. This licence means you can use any copyrighted material for schoolwork.

However, Educational Purpose only applies if your work will be used in school and ONLY within school e.g. an investigation, powerpoint, poster or talk. If your work will be published elsewhere, e.g. a webpage or a blog, then you need permission or a licence to use it.

It’s always best to credit the owner e.g. © J Macfadyen, 2019.  Investigations and reports should have a bibliography at the end to show where the information came from.

3. Other licences

Some creators attach a special licence to their work, like Creative Commons or GNU. If you use a work with one of these licences, you have to follow the instructions.

4. Public Domain

Copyright only lasts for a certain amount of time depending on the country you are in and the type of material created. For example, photographs are copyright for 70 years after the photographer dies.

Once the Copyright has gone, the material becomes Public Domain and can be used by anyone for any purpose.

 

Click here to find out more about Creative Commons licences.

Please see this leaflet for more information about copyright,
courtesy of the UK Copyright Service.