Using other people's pictures, photos, music, and apps

Software

You may not, even for your own use, copy copyrighted computer programs. However, licensees can make a backup copy of a program.

Photographic images and works

Photographs are divided into two different groups: photographic works and photographic images. In order for the photograph to be designated as a photographic work, it must have the level of originality. Then the full copyright protection is given, just like other works. If the photograph has not achieved this, it is called a photographic image in the law. The person who took the picture has the right to make copies of it and make the picture public.

Term

The term of protection distinguishes between a photographic image and a photographic work. The term of protection for a photographic image is 50 years after the image was produced. For photographic works, it is 70 years after the death of the author.

Use of photographic works and images

Always assume that an image or chart that you want to use in an essay or in a presentation, for example, is copyrighted.

In order to use the image, permission must be obtained from the author(s). You must then tell what you are going to do with the image (the purpose of the use/where the publication will take place).

The non-profit copyright belongs to the person who made the image, but the economic right is often transferred to the publisher. Permission can only be granted by the copyright holder, and if you are unsure whether you have the right to publish an image and if you are unable to get in touch with the author, you cannot use the image.

It is allowed to use an image in an oral presentation and then have a reasoning about the image, but if you do not have permission, the image must be omitted in any electronic edition.

Read more about copying images for teaching purposes.

Music and download

In order to use music, which is protected by copyright law, in a commercial way, the author's permission is required. It is also the authors who decide how their music is to be used and they must receive financial compensation.

It is forbidden to download illegally posted material such as films, music, etc. from the Internet to one's own computer. The files in question are often posted without the author's permission and are not originally intended to be made available via file-sharing programs. When downloading material from the internet - always check how the material can be handled!