Linking to online copyright material

There is a wealth of material on the internet that can be used for educational purposes. However it is important to remember that content from the internet and other online sources is NOT 'copyright free'. Copyright applies to material on the internet just as it does to print and audio-visual materials, even if it does not have a copyright statement or symbol.

UNE library electronic subscription resources

The library provides access to a wealth of information and resources such as databases and full text journals. These resources are covered by licences with the vendors and publishers of the database and the licences usually clarify the situation in relation to how you may use them for educational purposes.

  • you must link to the library electronic subscription resources from either Reading List or myLearn
  • linking is required by many vendor and publisher licences, and provides the library with important data about usage across the collections
  • linking from Reading List is preferred as the library can systematically manage URL changes when there are changes to vendor platforms.
Content available on public websites

Internet sites often outline the use conditions for copying their content. In some instances these conditions will be more generous than those of the Educational Statutory Licence. Check for these under headings such as 'Copyright', 'Terms of Use', 'Conditions of use', or 'About this site'. A further complication may be that websites often themselves use third party copyright material e.g. stock photos, and may not own copyright in all the content on their website. It is important that you refer to any references or attributions on websites to identify and distinguish different copyright ownership across the website if you intent to reproduce content. To avoid some of these complexities, instead of reproducing content from another website, it is often easier and more appropriate to link to it.

If access to electronic material from a website is governed by agreeing to or accepting terms and conditions attached to the material you should comply with those terms and conditions. Terms of use may be restricted to personal/private use, or restrict the ability to rely on the Educational Statutory Licence. Check with the copyright coordinator if unsure.

If you need to reproduce and communicate textual, artistic or broadcast material from a public website, and your use is not prohibited by terms and conditions, refer to the copying limits under the Educational Statutory Licence. Alternatively, you may need to seek permission from the copyright owner to use the online material.

Infringing copyright material online

You should not link to content on a site that you believe is an infringing copy, or likely to be infringing. Things to check for:

  • any reference or attribution on the resource which indicates whether the material is all rights reserved or openly licensed, who the creator or copyright owner is
  • whether the creator or copyright owner is affiliated with the site that is hosting or has reproduced the resource you want to link to. For example
    • it is unlikely that a private individual has the necessary rights to upload an episode from a TV show on their personal YouTube channel
    • articles on ResearchGate may or may not be infringing, depending on whether the article is licensed under an open licence, or the version of the article which has been uploaded
  • check with the copyright coordinator if unsure.