Copyright FAQ
What does copyright cover?Who owns copyright?
How long does it last?
What am I allowed to copy?
What can I copy for the purposes of review or criticism?
Does copyright apply to electronic information?
Is there a difference between scanning and photocopying?
Can I make copies for my friends?
Why do I have to sign a copyright declaration when requesting a journal article by interlibrary loan?
What does copyright cover?
Literary, musical, dramatic and artistic works are protected by copyright law, and so are films, videos, DVDs, photographs, images, sound recordings and databases. Copyright covers works irrespective of whether they are written, published or unpublished, or in electronic format. This means that even email messages and websites are subject to copyright law.
Who owns copyright?
Not always easy to answer. Usually the copyright holder is the person who has created the work, e.g. the author of a book or article, the composer of a piece of music. It could be the producer or director if a film. It could be a publisher. Sometimes several persons may have copyright over a single work.
How long does it last?
In general copyright lasts for the author or artist’s lifetime plus 70 years, but there are exceptions. Sound recordings remain in copyright for 50 years after their creation, release or broadcasting; and typographic arrangements are copyright for 25 years from publication, so you cannot copy freely a recent edition of a work by a long dead author.
What am I allowed to copy?
UK copyright law includes the concept of fair dealing which allows limited amounts of copying to be made for certain purposes without having to seek specific permission from the copyright holder.
Section 29 of the Copyright, Design & Patents Act 1988 says an individual may make a single copy, within certain limits, but only for non-commercial research or private study. Sound recordings, films, musical scores and broadcasts are excluded from this arrangement. The law does not define the limits precisely, but it must not be more than a ‘substantial’ part. This is generally understood to be:
- up to one chapter or 5% of a book or similar publication
- up to 10% of a short book of less than 200 pages
- one article from any one issue of a journal or set of conference proceedings
- one poem or short story of no more than 10 pages from an anthology
The University has also signed the CLA Higher Education photocopying and scanning license which allows you to make multiple copies within certain guidelines. See photocopying and scanning section for more information.
What can I copy for the purposes of review or criticism?
The law allows quotations to be made from copyright works, but only for criticism or review. This allows you to quote short extracts in an essay or dissertation. The limits are generally considered to be
- a single extract of no more than 400 words
- several extracts totalling no more than 800 words, none more than 300 words
- 40 lines from a poem
Proper acknowledgement must be made.
Does copyright apply to electronic information?
Yes. Electronic information is also covered by copyright law. You can download to your local hard drive or print a single copy from an e-resource or web page for non-commercial research or private study without asking permission. If you are accessing Anglia Ruskin’s digital library we advise you to check the licensing agreements under which these resources are made available to Anglia Ruskin staff, students and guests.
Is there a difference between scanning and photocopying?
Not really. A copy is a copy however it is made, whether a photocopy, a digitally scanned copy, a photocopy of a scanned copy, a scanned copy of a photocopy, a copy downloaded from the internet. The important things are why you made the copy and what you do with it. It should only be made if copyright law allows it or it is covered by a licensing agreement.
Can I make copies for my friends?
No. You are not allowed to make multiple copies, even of short extracts from books or articles, without permission from the copyright holder. Nor are you allowed to make copies for another person. That includes distributing scanned copies by email. The law does allow a ‘librarian’ to provide copies for other people under certain conditions, for example, if you are requesting a copy of a journal article by Interlibrary Loan. But see information about the University’s CLA Licence which does allow multiples in certain circumstances (below).
Why do I have to sign a copyright declaration when requesting a journal article by interlibrary loan?
The law requires a signed declaration as a means of confirming that you are entitled to receive the copy. It also protects the librarian supplying the copy from any responsibility for infringement of the law.