Can I copy information for my assignment?.....
What is copyright and
how does it affect me?
How much of a book can I
copy?
I have been told I have
to use Harvard referencing. What is it?
Can
I download music from the Internet at
college?
Is it okay to edit a
video for my coursework?
Can I copy pictures from
a book?
Is copying online
different from copying from a book?
How much can I copy from
a website?
Can I copy a video from
the Internet and use it in my assignment?
What rules are there about
performing someone's play?
Is using music okay for
an end of year performance?
How do I reference my
assignments?
What is
plagiarism?
What is a
citation?
I am not sure what
a bibliography is can you help?
Who will lose out if I
copy stuff?
What will happen if
I copy too much of someone's work?
Where can I find out
more?
These FAQ are a brief introduction to draw your attention to
copyright issues. Always check copyright statements and
notices. Please be aware the information was compiled by
a professional librarian not a trained lawyer.
What is copyright and how does it affect
me?
Copyright is the law about how much you can copy from other
people's work. It gives information on the rights of the author or
copyright holder to allow people to copy, perform and other
use of their work. The law gives some support to allow usage for
education. This is why you can make copies of parts of a work for
your own study.
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How much of a book can I
copy?
The general rule is 5% of a book or one article in a journal.
Another way to put it is you can copy an insubstantial
part. The 5% is the total amount you can copy you cannot
gradually copy your favourite textbook over the year.
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I have been told I have to use Harvard
referencing. What is it?
Referencing is simply recording where information you are using
has come from. You need to include information such as title,
author etc. Harvard referencing refers to the way you format
your reference. It gives guidelines on how to reference both
in your assignment and in the bibliography. For more
information refer to the
LRC Getting started with referencing guide.
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Can I download music from the Internet at
college?
This is dependent on the terms and
condition of the website. Should a website
require payment it is unwise to do this on public computers
like the ones at college. Please remember that the computer
network is provided for college work only.
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top
Is it okay to edit a video for my
coursework?
Generally you need permission to edit videos. The only time
this would not be the case is where the copyright holder gives
written permission on a film or as part of the terms of use of a
website.
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Can I copy pictures from a book?
This is general okay but the following images should not be
reproduced:
- Logos
- Trademarks
- Advertising
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Is copying online different from copying from a
book?
In some ways it is very similar as online material is also
protected by copyright. In the online environment you
need to more careful about copying. Always refer to the terms
and condition of use for online information. The FAQ
How
much can I copy from a
website gives you more details.
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How much can I copy from a website?
When the website or online material has terms of use or a
license agreement you need to follow these. Should
this not be the case it is only appropriate to copy
extracts for your own research. You will also need
to record where the information comes from.
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Can I copy a video from the Internet and use it in my
assignment?
It will depend on the terms of use or license on that
website. Be careful where you get material from as some
websites will have videos without permission. You could
be told you have infringed copyright law if your download
these. It is always better to use good sites to get your
information from.
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What rules are there about performing someone's
play?
The law focuses around whether the performance is for education
or for public entertainment. This means that you will need
permission or a license to perform a play in front of friends and
parents or other members of the public.
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Is using music okay for an end of year
performance?
Currently you can only play recorded music to staff and students
as part of a course. When parents or other members attend an
additional license would be required.
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How do I reference my assignments?
Please refer to the
LRCs referencing guide for more information or ask a
member of LRC staff for help.
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What is plagiarism?
It is the attempt to passing off someone else's work as your
own. For example copying a paragraph from a web page and
putting it in an assignment as your work.
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What is a citation?
This is when you use a quotation of someone else's work in your
assignment. Another way of looking at it is you
referring to the views expressed in someone else's
work. Part of this is recording the other author in your
work.
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I am not sure what a bibliography is can you
help?
It is a list of all the books, websites and other
information you have used when preparing an assignment. This
includes all the information you use whether you have quoted from
them in your assignment or not. The bibliography is located at
the end of an assignment generally on a different page from your
coursework.
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Who will lose out if I copy
stuff?
- The author or artist
- The publisher or record company
This could have a serious impact on their income if everyone
does it. Do not forget this could be you in the future.
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What will happen if I copy too much of someone's
work?
Not only is this a civil offence, it can be a criminal
offence. One penalty for this is a fine of up to
£5000. When studying you could be found
guilty of plagiarism. On a Higher Education
course this can mean failing a module or possibly
being withdrawn from your course.
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Where can I find out more?
- Licensing
bodies A useful guide to copyright and performance license
options and applications.
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