Using others teaching material
When searching for images and other material to use in your presentations, it is important that you keep track of copyright. There is free material on the web, which you can use if you do not want to create your own material, such as images or videos. Read more about open learning resources, copyright and other things that are good to know for a teacher.
Copyright and teaching
Copyright is a legal means of protecting an author's work (e.g. image, film, website or book). It is a type of intellectual property that provides exclusive publication, distribution, and usage rights for the author. Copyright automatically applies as soon as the work is created.
If you find, for example, an image on the web you have to get consent from the author to use or publish the image. You need consent before using the image and you need consent for how you intend to use it. If you find no contact information for the author, you cannot use the image.
You can refrain from asking the author for permission if you use material where they already specified how the material may be used, so-called free content. For example, images with a Creative Commons license. The author has the copyright but others may use the material in the way the author has specified.
Where do I search for free content?
Here are some links to more information and how to search for free content on Creative Commons and other learning material.
Links to how to search for free material
Creative Commons (CC)
Creative Commons is a global non-profit organisation that enables the sharing and reuse of images, audio files and video clips. You can also share your own material with others. On the Creative Commons website (Creative Commons.org) you can find out about the different types of CC licences and how you can use free material in your presentations in teaching.
Creative Commons Sweden (in Swedish)
Questions about copyright and open educational resources?
As a teacher or doctoral student/researcher, you can get support from the KTH library with questions about copyright and licences where open educational resources are included.
There is an guideline on management of intellectual property created at KTH (PDF) that is good to know for you who are employed by KTH.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open educational resources are teaching and learning materials that you can use free of charge. These educational resources often have licences for permission to share and reuse and sometimes you can customise them without having to ask for permission from the copyright owner. Remember to carefully read what applies to the resource that you want to use. Examples of OER: Video, audio, text, animations, diagrams.
How do I find open educational resources? (Swedish, legal handbook)
OER Commons - Public digital library of open educational resources
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation deals, among other things, with the storage of personal data on various digital surfaces and platforms. For you who are a teacher, there is support to get if you feel unsure of what this means.