Who owns copyright?

• If your research is externally funded, you might not own copyright in materials produced as a result of that research. The terms of the research contract will set out who owns copyright in the work produced.
• You might give copyright in your work to a publisher.
• The University owns copyright to some types of work.
  • Intellectual Property Created by Staff and Students Policy  

If you have collaborated with other authors and the contribution of each author is not distinct from the other authors, you will own the copyright in that work jointly with the other creator(s).

This means that you cannot copy or publish that work without the written permission of the other creator(s).

When you jointly create a work with other authors you all own the copyright. For it to be a work of joint authorship, the contribution of each author is not distinct from the others. You need written permission from your co-author(s) to copy or publish that work.

This also applies to performances and recordings, and can include contributors such as producers, editors, performers, or other people involved in making the work.

If you commission and pay another person to produce a work that will form part of your research outputs you will own the copyright in that work unless it is a musical work or a literary work.

If you do not own copyright then you must ensure that you have a license to use that work, or that the copyright in that work has either been assigned or licensed to you.