Copyright

Copyright

Copyright means the exclusive right of the author to decide on the use of a work.

Copyright in a nutshell

Copying, digitising or storing a book is making a copy. It is allowed for your own private use without the author's permission.

Copyright means the author's right to make a copy and to make it available to the public. The author controls the ways in which the work is made available to the public.

Ditribution is one way of making a work available to the public.

Distributing materials on the web

The uploading of a work to a server connected to an open network where any unspecified person has access to see or hear it is always subject to permission.

• In the context of a closed network (e.g. Moodle), we talk about a "large closed circle", where even 20-50 people are a grey area. If this circle is larger than 50, sharing without the author's permission is not allowed.
• The copying license (Kopiosto) enables the sharing of material with small circles.
• Digitising a print always involves making a copy and requires the permission of the author, also in teaching. Especially when you cross that "large closed circuit". For your own private use, you are allowed to make a copy.
• The sharing of electronic material (e.g. pdf), e.g. in a learning environment, always requires the storage of the material on a server and is always reproduction that requires a license.

Linking to the database or website where the material is located is usually a safe way to share the document in e.g. Moodle.

The data can be used in many ways

You can make use of material created by others by linking, citing or referring to it.

Link

You may link to materials on a website without permission. Please use links that point directly to the original page. Remember to make sure that the linked content is freely available online for everyone. You should also check the legality of the material you are linking to.

Cite

Quotations from published works may be taken without permission. The quotation must be relevant, i.e. it must relate to the subject matter. The length of a quotation is not defined: it is permitted to quote to the extent necessary for the purpose. The author and source must always be cited.

The right of citation applies to all types of works. However, the citation of photographs and other images is problematic, as the quotation is usually understood to be a small part of the whole work, such as a book or a photograph. However, the right of quotation allows you to include images in a scientific presentation (e.g. an article or teaching material) if the subject of the image is central to the text. You may not include images in your own work for illustrative purposes only.

Refer to

You can use materials created by others in your learning materials in accordance with the normal referencing policy by adding appropriate references to your materials.