Copyright protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works as soon as they are created.

A wide variety of items are covered including,

• Print books, e-books, journals, magazines and newspapers
• Videos, sound recordings and music notation
• Artwork, photographs, leaflets, posters and page layouts
• Web pages, computer code, blogs and social media posts
• Unpublished items such as teaching materials, student work and handwritten notes

Items are still covered by copyright legislation even if they are freely available online or where the creator is unknown or anonymous.

What you can do with copyright materials varies depending on what you plan to use them for and the terms of any license that has been applied.

Detailed information about UK Copyright Legislation is available online. 

A copy of the university's Copyright Guidance (pdf) is available to support students and staff alongside this online guide. Please contact copyright@uws.ac.uk if you need a copy of this guide in an alternative format.

What is not covered?

• Short phrases in common use are not covered by copyright legislation
• Ideas are not covered - only the way they are expressed or recorded
• Copyright of older materials may have expired, but this is not always the case, so it is safest to check first

The 'Fair dealing, copyright and exceptions: UK' video outlines the main points you need to consider in using copyright material for studying.

'Copying' can include many different ways of capturing material for you to use later including;

• Photocopying or scanning
• Downloading or printing a document
• Photographing or taking a screenshot
• Copying information out by hand

If you are using the material yourself as part of your studies or coursework, you credit the author or creator, and you only use a small amount, your use is likely to be covered by the 'Fair dealing' exception for private study.

Sharing a copy you have made with others, including other students, is not usually covered by the 'fair dealing' exception, but you can share a link to the original item to help them to find it.

Many online items are covered by Creative Commons (CC) licenses which allow you to use and share them without permission. Check the kind of license to see what you can do.

For advice on specific re-use of copyright materials, contact the UWS Library Copyright Advisory Service at Copyright@uws.ac.uk

Information provided by the copyright advisory service does not constitute legal advice. If you require legal support for complex copyright queries contact legal@uws.ac.uk.