You are permitted to re-use copyrighted material if it's for one of the following purposes:
Do not exceed safe copying limits. The information in this section will help you decide if your copying is safe.
UK copyright law permits fair dealing with a work for the purposes of non commercial research and private study. All types of copyright work are covered. This means that researchers and students can copy extracts from sound recordings, films and broadcast as well as literary, dramatic and musical works for these purposes. Acknowledgement of the source must be provided.
Only a single copy can be made. The exception cannot be overridden by contract.
The following limits are generally assumed to be acceptable:
A poem, short story or short literary work is regarded as a "work" in itself and may not be copied in its entirety under the terms of Section 29 of the CDPA.
The concept of fair dealing is an important one for education and research in the UK, but is often confused with fair use which is actually a doctrine from US law. Both fair dealing and fair use effectively serve the same function to allow fair use of copyright works for societally beneficial purposes but the UK system is more specific and restrictive.
The key fair dealing exceptions for education and research are summarised below, with references to the relevant clauses in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of exceptions and conditions will apply to each of these:
Description of exception |
CDPA clause |
Making single, limited, personal copies of copyright works for non-commercial research & private study purposes |
S29 |
Copying copyright material for the purposes of text mining and data mining |
S29A |
Reproducing copyright works for the purposes of quotation, parody, or criticism and review |
S30 |
Making accessible copies of copyright works for the personal use of disabled people |
S31A |
Reproducing copyright material for the purposes of illustration for instruction. This now allows fair digital copying for a teaching event, for examinations, theses and potentially use in a VLE |
S32 |
Performing, playing or showing a copyright work for the purposes of instruction in an educational establishment |
S34 |
Copying of extracts from copyright works and use of multiple copies (subject to AECC University College’s CLA licence) |
S36 |
Copying by libraries and archives for the purposes of preservation |
S40-43 |