About copyright

How copyright works

Copyright is automatically applied to any work that reaches a level of “originality”. The work should be unique and independently created. 

Copyright covers two different types of rights:

• Economic rights - the right to control how the work is distributed, published, sold, etc.
• Moral rights - the right to be named as the creator of the work, and to oppose any improper use of the work.

The economic rights can be transferred to someone else (e.g. a publisher) via a contract. The moral rights, on the other hand, cannot be transferred to anyone else. 

How long does copyright last?

Copyright lasts from the creation of the work until 70 years after the death of the creator. There is also a special rule for photographs. Photographs that are not unique and original are still protected for 50 years.

Managing copyright

Using illustrations

If you only want to use the information in an illustration (e.g. data in a table) without also displaying the illustration in your work, refer to it in the same way as you refer to written text. In this case, you do not need the permission of the copyright holder. 

However, if you want to use someone else's picture, table or figure in your work, you must have the permission of the copyright holder or use a free illustration. 

Getting permission

To obtain permission, you should contact the copyright holder who has the economic rights to the work. In many cases this is the creator, but if you want to use an image or figure in a book or scientific journal, it is usually the publisher who has the economic rights and whom you need to contact. The permission does not have to follow any template – it can be both oral or written. It is a good idea to save the permission. 

If you are seeking permission to use, for example, a figure from a scientific publication, there is sometimes a link from the electronic version of the article that takes you to a form where you specify the purpose of the use, etc. 

You will also need to indicate in your work that you have permission to use the illustrations. One way is to indicate this on the cover page:

You can also state on the cover page that you are the creator of all illustrations unless otherwise stated, for example as follows: 

Creative commons

Creative Commons (CC) is an international organisation that facilitates the legal use and sharing of material. By using Creative Commons licences, creators can label their material and clarify how others can use it. If you find an image with a Creative Commons licence that allows use and sharing, it means you can use the material without having to contact the copyright holder for permission. 

Using CC licenses for your own work

Once you have created something, you can choose to apply a CC licence to the work.

The Creative Commons website has a useful guide called Considerations for licensors and licensees.

If you don´t know which license to choose for your work, you can get help by the Creative Commons license chooser.

Read more

FAQ about copyright. Frequently asked questions about copyright from Swedish intellectual office (PRV).