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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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 performance 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?
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