8. Education and Teaching

This document contains a series of introductions to the rules that apply to most copyright works in the United Kingdom and does not purport to offer legal advice. Some special cases apply and in case of doubt appropriate advice should be taken.

1. UK copyright law adopts a combination of licensing rules and exceptions to enable teachers and students to make use of copyright works for educational purposes.
2. Teachers and students are permitted to make non-commercial use of works for the sole purpose of illustrating a point, provided that the use is fair and is accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement of the title and author. This allowance, which also extends to setting examination questions, cannot be restricted in a contract and is generally regarded as covering only minor uses of works.
3. Extracts from published works may be copied and shared via an educational establishment’s secure, online network provided the use is non-commercial and is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement. No more than 5% of a work may be copied in any 12-month period for this purpose. A similar exception applies to the non-commercial, educational use of broadcast material, albeit without a restriction on the proportion of the work that may be copied. These exceptions only apply where licences covering the required uses are not available. Licences issued by bodies such as CLA and ERA* provide extensive permissions covering the use of copyright works by educational establishments. (The government has entered into central agreements so that state schools in England are automatically covered.)
4. Performing a work at a school or college does not need permission as long as the performance is part of its educational activities. The audience must only be teachers, pupils and others directly connected with the activities of the establishment.
5. Under specific circumstances short extracts from published works (with sufficient acknowledgement) may be included in anthologies for use in educational establishments. No more than two extracts from works by the same author may be included in an anthology within a five-year period.
6. An educational establishment is permitted to make copies of a work to which it has lawful access available via a dedicated terminal on its premises, for the purposes of research or private study.
7. Fair dealing with a work is permitted for the purposes of non-commercial research or private study, accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement.

*Copyright Licensing Agency and Educational Recording Agency

See also: Copyright Basics and Exceptions & Fair Dealing

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