If you need materials in an alternative format for accessibility reasons, there is a copyright exception that covers this. Contact the Library Support team to discuss your needs. 

Sometimes you may want to include images in your work. If you are discussing a particular image, there is a copyright exception that allows you to reproduce images for criticism and review. Make sure that when you are using images you are meeting the criteria for fair dealing. The copyright essentials page includes guidance on how to attribute images.

You may sometimes wish to use images for decorative purposes to make your work more engaging. There are links to websites that host images under various open licenses on our resources page. You could also consider using images or photographs you have created yourself, as you own the copyright to your own work. 

Copying of musical works and sheet music is covered by our Higher Education Printed Music Licence (HEPML). The licence allows staff and students to copy, and to arrange sheet music in order to support learning on a course that includes a music element. 

Most sheet music can be copied under the terms of the licence as long as the University library owns an original copy of the work. If you would like to make a copy of something that is not currently in the library collection, please contact the Subject Librarian for Music or complete a purchase request form. 

There are a small number of excluded works which cannot be copied, and you can view a full list of publishers covered by the licence.

Copyright infringement means copying or sharing a work without the creator's permission. 

Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct. It involves presenting someone else's work as your own, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It is important to familiarise yourself with the University's position on plagiarism before handing in your work.

Students sometimes find themselves sanctioned for plagiarism as a result of not knowing how or why to reference correctly. The library provides a comprehensive guide to referencing and your Subject Librarian can offer further help on how to avoid plagiarism. 

Exceptions in copyright law allow limited copying for quotation, illustration, and review. It is important to cite the original material and to copy no more than is needed to make your point. 

Having the right to access content is not the same as having the right to distribute or reproduce it. This applies to books, journal articles, music, website content, and the resources created by your lecturer as part of course, amongst many other materials. 

If you want to share materials with classmates or friends and you aren't sure if you are legally allowed to share it, then it is better to link to the original rather than sending a copy. This is also true for posts on social media, or uploading content to generative AI platforms. 

You can access high-quality resources through the Library. The library pays licence fees in order for staff and students to access these resources legally, and it is possible to download and print sections for personal use. The amount that you can download or print will often be restricted by limits which are set by the supplier of the resource.

Text and data mining (TDM) means using computational techniques to analyse large amounts of information to identify patterns, trends and other useful information.

If you need to undertake TDM as part of your research then there is a copyright exception that covers this. UK law allows you to mine data and text providing the following two criteria are met:

1. The person carrying out the TDM has lawful access to the resource, either as an individual (e.g. with a personal subscription) or as a member of the University (e.g. subscription via the Library).
2. The TDM is undertaken for the purpose of non-commercial research.

A further criteria states that any copy made under these terms must include an acknowledgement (e.g. in the form of a citation) unless making this acknowledgement would be impractical.

• Discuss your plans with your subject librarian, who can advise on suitable approaches to take when performing TDM using the different resources provided by the Library.
• Contact the publisher of a resource to discuss the best method of obtaining the data you require.