You are allowed to make a single copy of an item and place it in the Short Loans Department, provided that the article or book chapter is not available through the HyDi. Permission from the copyright owner must be sought.

• Using existing material in the classroom is a form of browsing which is allowed as long as the purpose is purely non-commercial and the source, including the author’s name, is always indicated. There is no need to seek permission from the copyright holder to make use of this material.
• Placing material on the VLE often constitutes the act of copying or reproduction. This is not permitted under copyright. Refer to the underlying FAQs for guidance related to uploading or linking material on the VLE.

1. If the article/s, chapter/s or report/s, including diagrams and illustrations, are already available online in a database which the Library subscribes to, provide a link to the resource on VLE. There is no need to seek permission from the copyright holder to create the link. However, downloading copies and uploading these in the VLE without seeking copyright clearance from the authors/publishers constitutes copyright infringement.
2. If the copyrighted material is publicly available online, provide a link on the VLE to the webpage containing the resource. This material cannot be downloaded and reused in any other way. It is always a good practice to check the copyright conditions of the website. For other government material contact the Library.
3. If the copyrighted material is available on a website which is not publicly accessible, other than those that the Library subscribes to, permission must be sought from the copyright owner.
4. Separate (part of a whole) diagrams, illustrations, charts can be placed on VLE as part of the teaching material, provided that their authorship is acknowledged.
5. Uploading presentations which are authored by third parties, in whole or in part, may not be allowed. Permission from the copyright owner must first be sought.
6. If the copyrighted material is available only in print form, permission from copyright owners must be sought. Once this permission is obtained, the academic is responsible for the safekeeping of the permission document.
7. If the material is out of copyright, then you can place the material on VLE without asking for permission. However, please ensure that the term of copyright has in fact expired. In case of doubt consult with the Library.

Useful websites for tracing writers, artists and their copyright holders:

• Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS)
• The Watch File

• When an author signs a contract with a publisher, s/he normally assigns all copyright to the publisher in which case the author is no longer the copyright holder.
• While contract matters are personal decisions, you should be aware that assigning all your copyright to a publisher may prevent you from using your own work in particular ways. For example, some publishers’ agreements may not allow you to use or distribute your work even in activities such as teaching, peer assessment, or placing onto an institutional repository.
• However many publishing agreements are now negotiable, where the author retains copyright (or at the very least a ‘license’ i.e. permission to use) while still protecting the publisher’s commercial interest. Always check the publisher’s agreement or similar agreements in detail before signing anything.
• Unauthorised adaptations – Adapting a third party copyright work without the copyright owner’s prior authorisation (where copyright has not expired) is a breach of copyright.

Components of course packs must be treated individually. Teaching materials which you have produced may be distributed to students, since in this case, you are the copyright holder of such material. You are also free to use teaching materials generated by other academics in accordance with the provisions of the UM IP Policy, provided that the moral rights of the author are respected.

Creative Commons (CC) licenses the copying, reuse, distribution, and in some cases, modifications of the original owner’s creative work without having to obtain permission every single time from the rights holders. Before using CC licensed material check the licence terms of use. Some authors allow the use of their material for educational purposes only provided that credit is given to them. More information about CC licences is available here. You can search the CC licensed material here.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning and teaching materials, freely available online for anyone to use. Examples include full courses, course modules, lectures, games, teaching material and assignments. They can take the form of text, images, audio, video, and may even be interactive. Most of these materials are licensed under the Creative Commons.

OER are shared via the websites of education providers and through public services:

• The Open University MIT
• Open Courseware
• Rice University Connexions Project

1. You may provide a link to an electronic version of a local/foreign newspaper article on the VLE provided that you have obtained written permission from the publishers.
2. If the article is available in print form, permission must be sought from the publishers.

Local and foreign newspapers are available for browsing in the Melitensia, Reference and Periodicals Departments of the Main Library.

To place materials which are only available on external storage devices (e.g. DVDs, CDs etc) on VLE, permission from the copyright holder is required.

Permission from copyright holders must be sought before downloading or embedding material from online video streaming sites, such as YouTube. Audio and audio-visual material may be used in the classroom, provided that only students and staff are present.

Without permission of the copyright holder, no copies (including format shifting) can be made and the material cannot be used for recreational purposes.

Useful sources for audio:

• British Library Sound Archival Records
• Internet Archive

Useful sources for moving images:

• BFI Screenonline
• British Pathe film archive
• News on Screen from BUFVC
• Teacher Tube
• YouTube EDU

Some web resources provide access to free online images with the intention that they are used for education purposes only. Otherwise, permission must be sought from the rights holder when using such material for teaching purposes.

Useful sources for still images: 

• MorgueFile
• Pics4Learning

Broadcasts may be shown to a class provided that the broadcast is being watched as it is being transmitted. However recorded broadcasts require copyright permission.

Permission from the rights holders (who is the transmitter of the programme) must be sought before placing TV and radio broadcasts in digital form on VLE.

Broadcasts produced by the Malta University Broadcasting Ltd. have been licensed for use by the University students and staff for private study, teaching and non-commercial purposes. There is no need to seek permission to link to these broadcasts from the VLE.

Linking to other broadcasts by third parties (e.g. BBC) requires copyright clearance from the party in question (e.g. from BBC).

Databases and software may be used in accordance with their licenses. For instance, they may not be copied, adapted, distributed, translated or otherwise used beyond the scope of their license unless permission from the copyright holder is first obtained.

Databases and software purchased/licensed by the University of Malta can only be used by authorised persons for authorised purposes, as per terms and conditions in the licence.

Refer to the IP Policy of the University.

The copyright of theses and dissertations produced at the University of Malta is held by the author. Viewing of print dissertations is available in the Main Library’s Melitensia Department, the Health Sciences Library, Laws and Theology Library, Valletta Campus Library, Faculty of Arts Library, Bighi Library, and the Faculty for Built Environment Library. Electronic dissertations are available for viewing on-line on campus and remotely by using the UM IT Account.

Unpublished material like manuscripts, archives, photographs, are subject to copyright regulations, and the necessary permission must be sought from the copyright holder who may be the National Archivist, the author, or even the donor (see National Archives Act Chapter 477).

When using material for which you are not the copyright holder and in situations where the above exceptions and limitations to copyright do not apply, permission must be sought from the copyright holder before it can be used for any purpose including presentation, lecture, dissertation, short film, audio recording or slideshow. 

An email or letter must be written to the copyright holder requesting permission to use their work. The email or letter must:

1. Outline the nature of your work; what part of work you want to include and the length.
2. Give information how you will use it (i.e. will it be uploaded in the University VLE with restricted access to a select group of students for educational purposes; will it be made available to the public; will it be used for commercial purposes; will it be used for advertising).
3. Include your name, surname, position, telephone number and email address.
4. Include the time-frames within which the material will be used.

Publisher websites provide information and instructions about obtaining permission for re-using the material. Details about obtaining permissions for images, figures and tables may also be included.

Permission confirmed and granted: permission to third party content is given when the copyright holder acknowledges your request and permits you to use the material for the reasons you have stated. Consent by email is acceptable, but a formal letter with signature is preferred. The permission must be stored in a secure place and a copy must be sent to OAR.

Permission not confirmed or granted: if no reply is received from the copyright holder, send a gentle reminder or call. If still no answer is received, contact the Library for advice. In cases when the copyright holder is unknown contact the Library for advice. For further assistance contact us.