RESOURCES

Answers & Learning Resources

Find clear, practical answers to common copyright questions, explore helpful guides, and discover resources designed to build your confidence in copyright law.

Disclaimer

The information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. If you require legal advice, please consult a qualified lawyer.

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Need more than a quick answer? Our online courses provide practical guidance, real-world examples, and expert instruction to help you confidently apply copyright law in your work.

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MASTER THE COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS PROCESS WITH PRACTICAL TOOLS AND REAL-WORLD STRATEGIES.

Selecting an Online Copyright Course

Whether you’re new to copyright or looking to deepen your expertise, our online courses are designed to help you and your colleagues confidently answer copyright questions and reduce your organization’s copyright risks.

We offer three certificate programs and a variety of individual courses, all delivered through our easy-to-use online learning platform.

Certificate Programs

Our certificate programs provide comprehensive training in managing copyright and licensing issues in libraries, institutions, organizations, and businesses.

You’ll gain the knowledge and practical skills to:

  • Manage copyright and licensing issues with confidence
  • Lower your organization’s risk of copyright infringement
  • Answer everyday copyright and licensing questions

Choose the program that’s right for you:

  • Copyright Leadership Certificate (U.S. and International)
  • Certificate in Canadian Copyright Law
  • Certificate in Licensing Digital Content

Interested in hearing from past participants? See what our recent graduates say.

These instructor-led courses include text lessons, additional resources, online discussions, and assignments throughout each e-lesson.

Current course:

  • Developing a Copyright Policy or Guidelines (8 e-lessons)

Plan to spend up to two hours per lesson, including readings, assignments, and discussions.

Assignments are shared within the discussion forum, allowing the instructor to provide feedback. By the end of the course, you’ll have a draft copyright policy or guidelines.

Recommended: A basic understanding of copyright before registering.

  • These courses expand on the fundamentals of copyright through text lessons, additional resources, and self-marking quizzes.

    Courses include:

    • 21 Virtual Ways to Build Copyright Awareness in Your Library or Organization
    • Obtaining Permission: The Copyright Permissions Request
    • The Essential Guide to Managing Copyright Issues in Publishing

    Plan to spend approximately 30 to 60 minutes per lesson.

    Recommended: Some prior knowledge of copyright law.

Our primer courses provide an excellent introduction or refresher on copyright fundamentals.

Choose from:

  • U.S. Copyright Law (10 e-lessons)
  • Canadian Copyright Law (18 e-lessons)
  • Legally Using Images (10 e-lessons)

Each course includes:

  • Text lessons
  • Additional resources
  • Self-marking quizzes

Plan to spend approximately 30 to 60 minutes per lesson.

Our Demystifying Copyright Micro Courses are short, self-paced courses designed to introduce specific copyright topics.

In as little as four to six hours, you’ll gain a practical understanding of subjects such as:

  • The Public Domain
  • Creative Commons Licences
  • Moral Rights
  • Becoming the go-to copyright person in your organization

You’ll have access to each course for four weeks and can download the lessons for future reference.

Current micro courses include:

  • Demystifying the Role of the Go-To Copyright Person
  • Demystifying Copyright Myths, Public Domain and Creative Commons Licences

All of our online courses are delivered through Thinkific, an easy-to-use learning platform that complements our eTutorial teaching style.

Students consistently praise its simplicity and flexibility.

“Thinkific is intuitive and easy to click through the assignments and discussions.”

“First time using Thinkific, I found it easy to navigate. It was perfect for the structure of this course. I appreciate that I was able to download notes in advance so I could study on my iPad whenever it was convenient.”

Some courses also include online discussions, assignments, and virtual meetings.

Participants receive a Certificate of Completion for every course they complete. Graduates of our certificate programs also receive a certificate plaque suitable for display in their office.

When choosing a course, consider:

  • Your current level of copyright knowledge
  • The information and practical skills you want to gain
  • Whether you’re interested in an individual course or a certificate program
  • The amount of time you have available
  • Whether you prefer self-paced learning or interactive discussions
  • Your interest in building a professional copyright network
  • Whether you want to complete assignments
  • Your training budget

If you’re not sure which course is right for you, contact us or explore our Build-Your-Own Copyright Education Packages for private and customized training.

Copyright Ownership

Do you have questions about copyright ownership? Our brief, practical answers to these commonly asked questions will help.

Who owns the copyright to the text, illustrations and photographs in a published book?

There’s no straightforward answer. Copyright ownership depends on the publishing agreement between the publisher and the author, illustrator, or photographer.

If you’d like to reproduce part of a published book, the easiest approach is usually to contact the publisher first. If the publisher doesn’t control the rights you’re seeking, they can often direct you to the author, illustrator, photographer, or their representative, who may be able to grant permission.

Subject to specific exceptions, a person owns the copyright in photographs they take.

Although you didn’t sign any assignment of copyright, you should check the wording in your funding agreement to determine whether you’ve transferred your rights in exchange for funding your project.

If the work in question was created by a federal government employee in the course of their official duties, it is in the public domain, meaning there is no copyright protection in it.

However, the U.S. government may own copyright in certain works. For example, works may be assigned or transferred to the government. A government contractor might prepare a report and assign copyright to a government agency, resulting in the government owning the copyright.

Outside the United States, the protection of U.S. government works depends upon the copyright laws of the country where the work is used.

Further Reading

A loan doesn’t constitute a transfer of copyright.

The visitor presumably owns the copyright in the slides unless they transfer ownership to you in a signed agreement.

Before digitizing the slides, ensure that the visitor actually owns the copyright and doesn’t simply own the physical slides.

Ask the publisher to send you written confirmation, such as an email, stating that the rights have reverted to the author.

You may then need to explain to the author that they now own the rights and are able to grant permission for your intended use.

Generally, no.

If the photographs were taken outside the scope of your employment, you own the copyright and your employer must obtain your permission before posting them.

If the photographs were created as part of your employment duties, ownership may instead belong to your employer, depending on your employment agreement and the copyright laws that apply.

Further Reading

Copyright Duration

Do you have questions about copyright duration? Our brief and practical answers to these commonly asked questions will help.

Do copyrights have expirations? I've heard they run out in 17 years. I have a copyright from 1981 on some artwork. Is it still valid?

Yes. Copyright protection has a limited duration.

For example, in the United States, copyright generally expires 70 years after the author’s death. The exact duration varies depending on the type of work, the circumstances under which it was created, and the laws of the country where the work is used.

To determine the copyright term that applies to your situation, consult the copyright office in your country.

Related Resources

Under the general rule, copyright duration is based on the life of the author, not the copyright owner.

Copyright generally lasts for 70 years after the author’s death, until the end of that calendar year. This is commonly referred to as the life-plus-seventy rule.

For example, if an author died on February 1, 1980, copyright in their work expires on December 31, 2050, and the work enters the public domain on January 1, 2051.

This general rule applies to works fixed in a tangible form on or after January 1, 1978.

Copyright duration in the United States can be more complicated than in many other countries because the law has been amended several times over the years.

One of the most helpful resources is the chart published by Cornell University, which can help determine whether a work is still protected by copyright or has entered the public domain.

Further Reading

The public domain consists of works that are no longer protected by copyright.

A work may enter the public domain for several reasons. For example:

  • Copyright protection has expired.
  • The work was never eligible for copyright protection.
  • Certain government works, such as works created by the U.S. federal government, are automatically in the public domain.

Always verify the copyright status of a work before assuming it is free to use.

Further Reading

No.

You should assume that content found online is protected by copyright unless there is a clear statement indicating otherwise or you’ve confirmed the copyright status of the work.

Even if a work doesn’t display a copyright notice or identify the copyright owner, it is generally still protected by copyright.

No.

The Berne Convention establishes a minimum copyright term of life of the author plus 50 years. Many countries continue to follow this standard.

However, countries are free to provide longer protection. For example, the United States and European Union countries generally provide life-plus-seventy protection.

Keep in mind that this is only the general rule. Different duration rules may apply to government works, employment works, anonymous works, and other categories of copyright-protected material.

The answer depends on which country’s copyright law applies.

For example:

  • Canada: Copyright duration for employment works is generally based on the life of the author rather than the employer.
  • United States: Copyright in a work made for hire generally lasts 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever expires first.

Because copyright duration varies by jurisdiction, it’s important to determine which country’s law governs the work.

A work created by two or more authors is known as a joint work.

In general, copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the last surviving author.

For example, if two writers co-author a screenplay and one dies before the other, copyright continues for 70 years after the surviving author’s death, expiring on December 31 of that year.

The answer varies depending on the country.

In the United States, under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), certain visual artists receive moral rights protection, including the right of attribution. These rights generally last for the life of the author, while economic copyright generally continues for 70 years after the author’s death.

In some countries, such as Canada, moral rights generally last for the same duration as copyright. In others, such as France, moral rights continue indefinitely.

Using Copyright-Protected Content

This Q&A provides answers to commonly asked digital copyright questions. It will be helpful to anyone who creates or uses digital copyright-protected materials.

Do you need permission to provide a hyperlink to a website or blog?

Providing the address (URL) to online content is often an effective way to lower your risk of copyright infringement. Whenever possible, link directly to the original source of the work, such as the creator’s or copyright owner’s website, rather than to another website where the content may have been posted without permission.

In some jurisdictions, embedding content rather than linking to it may raise copyright concerns. As a result, many organizations choose to avoid embedding content unless they’re confident it’s permitted.

Before linking, take reasonable steps to ensure you’re not directing users to pirated or unauthorized content. If a website specifically prohibits linking, respect those terms. Courts around the world continue to examine when linking may require permission.

Owning a printed journal doesn’t mean you own the copyright in its contents.

Before digitizing an article, you should obtain permission from the copyright owner unless an exception under copyright law applies.

When requesting permission, consider asking for any additional rights you may need, such as permission to:

  • Store the article on your intranet
  • Distribute it internally as a PDF
  • Include it in future digital collections

Obtaining these permissions at the same time can save time and avoid future requests.

In most cases, adding a watermark that identifies the photographer isn’t likely to infringe copyright.

However, in some situations the copyright owner could argue that the watermark affects their moral rights or harms the integrity of the work.

As a best practice, ask the copyright owner for permission before adding a watermark to their image.

Review the purchase agreement or license that accompanied the article.

Ask yourself:

  • What rights were included with the purchase?
  • What uses are specifically permitted?
  • Does the license allow storage on an intranet or server?

If the agreement doesn’t expressly allow these uses, you’ll generally need permission before reproducing, storing, or distributing the article beyond the researcher’s personal use.

If your organization frequently purchases electronic articles, consider negotiating future licenses to include rights that allow storage and internal access.

While it’s difficult to completely prevent unauthorized sharing, several approaches can reduce the risk.

You can:

  • Use Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology to restrict copying or redistribution.
  • Require readers to agree to a license that prohibits redistribution.
  • Include clear copyright notices throughout your e-book explaining that copying or sharing isn’t permitted without your permission.
  • Make it easy for readers to request permission by including your contact information.

Combining several of these approaches provides the strongest protection.

It depends on the source of each article.

Consider each category separately.

Articles from the internet

  • Are they in the public domain?
  • Does the website allow reuse?
  • Are they limited to personal or non-commercial use?

Licensed articles

Review your license agreement carefully.

Does it allow you to:

  • Save articles?
  • Build a searchable collection?
  • Provide access to others?

Digitized articles

If you obtained permission to digitize them, confirm whether that permission also allows you to include them in a digital library or collection.

Each source may have different rights and restrictions.

If you found an image on the internet, don’t assume it’s free to use. Research the copyright status of the artwork to determine whether it’s in the public domain or available under a licence that permits your intended use.

If the copyright status is unclear, or the work is still protected by copyright, you’ll need permission from the copyright owner before using it.

If you’d like to learn more about emerging copyright issues, read our article Blockchain Technology: What You Need to Know. You may also find our Simple Guides to Copyright helpful as a starting point.

If you’re looking for more in-depth guidance, explore our Licensing Digital Content Book or enroll in our Certificate in Licensing Digital Content.

U.S. & International Resources

Whether you’re researching U.S. copyright law or working with copyright-protected materials across international borders, these resources provide a practical starting point. Explore guides, articles, and official references to help you better understand copyright ownership, fair use, public domain, licensing, and international copyright issues.

I'm new to U.S. copyright law. Where should I start?

We recommend beginning with our Simple Guide to U.S. Copyright Law and downloading our free U.S. Copyright Law Primer, which highlights five essential facts and tips.

The guide covers:

  • The legal background of copyright law
  • When the U.S. Copyright Act was first enacted
  • The role of the U.S. Copyright Office
  • Copyright ownership
  • Rights and limitations
  • Copyright duration
  • Copyright protection requirements, including originality, minimal creativity, fixation, publication, and registration
  • Using the copyright symbol

You may also be interested in our article Clarifying Misinformation About U.S. Copyright Law.

For official guidance and primary legal research, visit the U.S. Copyright Office.

Browse our practical articles covering topics such as:

  • A Simple Guide to Fair Use: How to Apply Fair Use to Your Copyright Scenarios
  • Copyright in U.S. Government Works
  • How to Protect Photos You Post Online
  • Who Owns Copyright in Works by Volunteers?
  • Sharing and Republishing Online Content: 6 Tips for Copyright Compliance
  • Moral Rights in U.S. Copyright Law

You can also search Copyrightlaws.com for additional articles covering a wide range of copyright topics.

If your organization uses U.S. content outside the United States, or works with copyright-protected materials from multiple countries, it’s important to understand:

  • International copyright law
  • Licensing digital content
  • Managing copyright risks
  • Making informed copyright decisions

To explore these topics further, read our resources on International Copyright Law, Licensing and Managing Copyright Issues.

Our online courses and certificate programs are designed for professionals in the United States, Canada, and around the world who regularly work with copyrighted materials.

We share U.S. copyright news, international copyright developments, practical articles, and upcoming training opportunities through our weekly copyright newsletter.

Subscribing is an easy way to stay informed and continue building your copyright knowledge.

Yes. Copyright laws vary from country to country, but many of the practical copyright and licensing challenges organizations face are shared around the world.

Our resources and training explain core copyright principles while highlighting where laws differ between jurisdictions. Whether you’re based in Canada, the United States, or elsewhere, you’ll gain practical knowledge to help you confidently manage copyright issues in your work.