This guide is intended to be your first step towards learning more about copyright during your research and publication journey. It focuses on areas of copyright likely to be applicable to researchers looking to share their work, including making a PhD thesis available via our Research Commons.
Please note that the information contained in this guide does not constitute legal advice. Copyright law is different all around the world and this guide reflects NZ copyright law only and some of the advice reflect circumstances specific to the University of Waikato.
Copyright is a legal right, which protects the copyright owner and/or the creator of a work. Copyright gives the owner control over their work and how it is used.
(The British Library, 2023)
A piece of work is copyright protected as soon as it is created in a tangible form, either physical or digital, for example, once it has been written down. In most cases, the first copyright holder is the author or creator of the work.
You must respect copyright and ownership. If you reuse images, diagrams, paintings, photographs or other intellectual property belonging to someone other than yourself, it is important to check the reuse rights associated with that item.
Most theses contain images, diagrams, tables, data and words created by others. You can use these within certain limits, but beyond these limits you may need permission. Gathering permission can often take some time, so it is important that you do not leave it until the last minute.