Copyright for students

Copyright for students

2 students in a libraryDuring your studies, you will use and engage with material created by others. This might include books, articles, websites, films, photographs, music, or artworks. Copyright automatically applies to these kinds of creative works for a fixed duration - normally until 70 years after the creator has died. Therefore, a lot of the material you work with will be protected by copyright.

Knowing how to use copyright material ethically and legally is a key skill for university, the workplace and wider life. If you understand licences and 'exceptions' in copyright law, you'll be able to use material lawfully and avoid copyright infringement.

Remember, your own original work is protected by copyright too.

Studying

You might need to access or make copies of copyright works for your own private study. There are ways you can do this legally, within certain limits.

Assignments and assessments

When you're doing academic work, it's very likely you will need to use sources produced by other people which are protected by copyright.

Sharing and reuse

It's now easier than ever to share material with anyone through the web and social media. Make sure you're copyright aware when you share and reuse.

Your copyright

Remember that any original creative work you produce is protected by copyright too. If you create the work for an employer, they will usually own the copyright. However, if you create it in your free time, you will be the copyright owner.

When you register at the University, you agree to assign the intellectual property rights, including the copyright, of any work that you produce as part of your study to the University. To find out more about this, and how to opt out, see the intellectual property rights section of the University's student terms and conditions.

Looking after your copyright is important if you want to sell or licence your work commercially. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has advice on protecting your intellectual property.

Alternatively, if you want to share your work more freely to allow others to reuse it, consider placing it under a Creative Commons licence.

Further help

If you'd like further help with any copyright-related issues, get in touch with us: library@abdn.ac.uk