Copyright in Research and Publishing
What’s involved in using other people’s copyright material in your research, seeking permission, and submitting your research or thesis for publication.
Intellectual Property Policy
Victoria University of Wellington's current Intellectual Property Policy covers ownership of intellectual property (including copyright) for work created at the University.
Note that there are different intellectual property provisions for academic and professional staff. In general, all IP created by professional staff in the course of their work at the University is the property of the University.
The following advice is generally for academic staff and students.
Copyright permissions
If you are going to use other people’s copyright material, e.g. images, diagrams and maps, in either your thesis or for publication, you must obtain copyright permission.
Obtaining permission takes time and shouldn’t be left until submitting your thesis – start early!
You do not need to have obtained permission to use copyright material for the purposes of examination. If you do not have permission, you will need to redact the content before your thesis can be deposited with the Library for inclusion in our Open Access Institutional Repository.
Copyright in your work and publication agreements
As an academic or student you own the copyright in the work you create, unless you grant your rights to another party as part of any publishing agreement.
Publication agreements
Read your agreement from the publisher thoroughly and seek legal advice if necessary.
Before signing a publication agreement, consider how you expect to use your own copyright material, e.g. in teaching, course readings, in a thesis, or distribute to colleagues, deposit in the institutional or open access repository, and ensure that the agreement allows this, as it’s not always the case.
You also want to pay attention to what version of your work you are allowed to use, as this may not be the published version.
If you are not happy with the publication agreement, there are options. See the Library Strategic Publishing guide on author rights.
For further information on legal terms in academic publishing agreements, refer to:
These can help you to determine the best way to retain the rights to use your own work as necessary.
Copyright and depositing your thesis
Read the guide to copyright for research students and check out the information the Library has on copyright and depositing your thesis.
Seeking permission to use other people’s copyright
It is advisable to keep a written record of permission you are given. If you are given verbal permission, you should send a follow up email or letter to confirm the arrangement. ·
Download a sample letter for requesting permission (WORD 15.8KB)
Check the material you want to use for any copyright or creative commons statement.
The publisher is usually a good starting point when seeking permission — they will often be able to give permission or can provide contact details for the copyright holder.
If the copyright holder is deceased, you may need to seek permission from the author’s estate (copyright can be inherited).
If you sourced content from an archival institution, they may be able to provide advice on who the copyright owner is.
The copyright owner for work from the internet can be harder to trace, as you will need to ensure you find the original source of the work (to ensure you get permission from the right copyright holder).
If you are concerned that someone else has infringed your copyright, contact the Copyright Officer at copyright@vuw.ac.nz
Choosing the right licence
As a University researcher and author, choose the right copyright for your research and academic works. This guidance document provides a brief summary of possible legal outcomes. However, it is not exhaustive and you may wish to consult expert advice before signing any contract.
Related policies
Downloads
- Requesting copyright permission for thesis and dissertation (DOC 15.8 KB)
- Copyright guidelines for research students (PDF 113.1 KB)