As a researcher, it is important that you understand and comply with copyright and licensing laws. These laws affect how you use material created by others and how others can use your work. They help protect your rights and the rights of others.
Understanding copyright and licensing will help you:
- avoid legal and ethical problems when using text, images, data, or other material in your thesis or publications
- meet funder and publisher requirements, including open access and licensing conditions
- make informed decisions about how to share your work and allow others to reuse it
- retain control over your work and how it is used in the future
These pages provide guidance; they do not constitute legal advice.
There is further information on copyright and commonly encountered copyright issues on the website of the University's Legal Services Office. You may also find this guide to managing third-party copyright for research publications (PDF, 5.4MB) helpful. It was produced by UKRI, but contains general information that will be useful to all researchers.