Please see copyright essentials for general information on what copyright is and how long it lasts for. This will provide you with a good overview of copyright and how you can use works still in copyright.
Using works in copyright
There are several exceptions in copyright law that allow you to use a work still in copyright, such as the exceptions for Criticism, Review and Quotation, and Illustration for Instruction. Copyright exceptions are sections of law that provide details of how and when it is okay to copy a work that is still in copyright without needing to seek permission from the owner of the copyright. For more details about the copyright exceptions that you may be able to make use of, please see copyright essentials.
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Copying from library collections
Our libraries are equipped with scanners and photocopiers which you can use to make copies for private study. The below is also applicable if you are scanning, photocopying, downloading or taking photos of the items with your phone – these are all forms of copying. Under a copyright exception, you are permitted to copy:
- Up to 10% of a published edition or
- One chapter of a book
- One article from a magazine or journal.
- One whole scene from a play
- One report of a single case from a volume of judicial proceedings
- One paper from a set of conference proceedings
- For an anthology of short stories or poems:
- One short story or poem not exceeding 10 pages in length.
Under our licence with the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) you can copy slightly more from some magazines and journals, but only if these are covered under the CLA licence. This allows you to copy two articles from a magazine or journal – or, where the issue (or a substantial part of it) is devoted to a particular theme, and the journal is not a ‘CCC Electronic Rights-Work’, any number of articles dedicated to that particular theme.
To check if an item is covered under the licence, use the Check Permissions tool. Enter the name of the journal and select the "Higher Education" option from the drop-down menu.
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Copyright ownership in your own work
As the author of your work, you own the copyright. What this means in practice is that no one else can reproduce your work in its entirety, profit from it, or claim it as their own without your permission. Be careful when posting your work online, as you may grant the website a permission to use it. You should read the website’s terms before you upload anything.
For more information on works the University owns, please see University of Birmingham Admission and Registration Regulations 5.4. (PDF - 357 KB)
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Copying to support users with a disability
Libraries and Learning Resources offer several services using copyright exceptions to support you if you have a disability. If you have a print disability, such as a visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, or have ADHD or dyslexia, you can use:
- Sensus Accesss, which enables you to easily convert one file format into another e.g. a PDF into a Word file.
- Bookshare, which you can search for alternative format versions of books that are on your reading lists e.g. an audio file of the book.
If you require mediated support, we also offer an accessible texts service, where we will provide you with a personalised service aimed at ensuring that you have the materials recommended on your resource lists in a format accessible to you.
For information about the range of services, please see Support using our print collections.
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Showing films or any moving image
There are several copyright exceptions that allow you to show either a whole film or sections of films for educational purposes, such as the Performing, playing and showing works exception. Please see copyright essentials for more details of this and other exceptions.
Accessing films
You must have legal access to the film that you wish to show. You must not circumvent any technical protection measures to show the film.
If you link to online videos, ensure that the content you want to use is legitimately available there. For example, a Disney film will be legitimate if it is on Disney’s YouTube Channel but would probably be an illegitimate upload if it is hosted by a fan channel. We should avoid illegitimate content.
The Library provides a number of services to make streamed films available. A full list of online resources for images and multimedia can be found via the 'Database Search' option in FindIt@Bham and selecting 'Resource Type' and 'Images+Multimedia'.
Key film services are:
- Box of Broadcasts (BOB): an archive of over 45,000 TV and radio programmes and allows you to record items that are currently on television, for example on Film 4. It also allows you to create playlists of clips from multiple programmes. The service can only be viewed by those currently in the UK..
- Kanopy: a collection of modern and classic films.
- BFI Player: a streaming service from the British Film Institute which has a mix of classic, cult and archive films available to stream.
Showing films for non-educational activities or to a wider audience
If you want to show a film and your use would not be covered by the legal exceptions, for example showing a whole film as part of a leisure or promotional activity, you will need to purchase a licence. Licences can be purchased directly from Film Bank or the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPCL).
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Using generative AI tools
The University provides student guidance on using Generative Artificial Intelligence tools ethically for study.
You should check the terms and conditions of any generative AI (GenAI) tool that you use to understand the rights that you grant to the providers to re-use your work. For most GenAI tools, by uploading your work or those of others you grant the providers the right to use it as they see fit, and this may include sharing it with other people.
You should never upload content to GenAI tools, or social media platforms, without the permission of the copyright holder. This includes text, images, data, songs, videos, and other works that are still in copyright, or any part of these. If the content is still in copyright, the person or organisation that owns the copyright is the only party that can grant the permission required in the tool's terms and conditions. If you do not have clear permission from the copyright owner to use their content with the GenAI tools, do not upload it.
It's worth noting that none of the print or electronic content held by the Library is currently licensed for such use. As such, you should not upload journal articles or book chapters into these tools. Rather, it is recommended that you point to the article title, DOI, or link for the GenAI tool to then find the content itself and summarise it from there.
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Contact us
For advice on copyright matters and University licences, please contact: copyright@contacts.bham.ac.uk
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