Copyright and plagiarism

Here you can read about copyright, how to avoid plagiarism, and how to use images in your work. You will also find information about AI and copyright.

What is copyright?

The Swedish Copyright Act (SFS 1960:729) protects literary and artistic works. Copyright arises automatically when a work is created. This means that the author has the right to decide if, how and when the work may be used or shared. In Sweden, copyright applies during the author’s lifetime and for 70 years after the year of death.

A work can be printed or digital material, for example:

• Books
• Articles
• Images, photographs and illustrations
• Maps
• Speeches
• Musical works
• Dramatic works
• Films
• Computer programs

Moral and economic rights

Copyright gives the author both moral and economic rights to the work. Moral rights mean that the author has the right to be named when the work is used. These rights cannot be transferred.

Economic rights mean that the author has the right to receive payment for their work. The author has the exclusive right to reproduce the work and to make it available to the public. Economic rights can be transferred or regulated by agreement. For example, an author may transfer the rights to a book to a publisher in return for payment.

• The Swedish Copyright Act
  Act (SFS 1960:729) on Copyright in Literary and Artistic Works.
  

What is plagiarism?

Plagiarism means using facts, ideas, images or other material from someone else’s published or unpublished work without citing the source. When you use someone else’s work, it must always be clear who the author is.

Plagiarism can take different forms. For example, when you:

• Use facts, ideas, theories, methods or data without citing the source.
• Copy images, diagrams, tables, music or parts of computer programs without citing the source and without permission
• Quote or paraphrase without citing the source.
• Write a text that is largely based on others’ material without adding your own analysis or reflection.
• Submit work as your own even though it was created by someone else.

Luleå University of Technology uses a tool to check students’ texts. If you plagiarise, you violate the Copyright Act. This may lead to disciplinary action.

• Cheating and plagiarism
  Guidelines for students at Luleå University of Technology.
• Refero – your guide to academic integrity and reference management
  Created by the libraries at Blekinge Institute of Technology and Linnaeus University. Available in Swedish.

What are you allowed to share and copy?

The rules for what you may share and copy vary depending on the source. You therefore need to check what applies to the specific source you are using. There may also be agreements, licences and guidelines that regulate how the material may be used.

Bonus Copyright Access

The Bonus Copyright Access agreement gives teachers and students certain rights to use, copy and share copyright-protected material in teaching at universities and university colleges. When you use copied material, you must always state the author and the source.

The agreement includes information about:

• what types of copying are covered
• how much of a work you may copy or share
• how copyright-protected material may be shared in teaching
• what applies to compulsory, publisher-produced course literature

• Bonus Copyright Access
  Here you can find the full agreement. Available in Swedish.
  

Open Access

Open Access means that research results and other material are published freely available on the internet. This means that you can read, download and use the material at no cost.

You must always cite the source when using the material. The creator still holds both moral and economic rights to the work.

• What is Open Access?
  Information about Open Access from the National Library of Sweden.

Licences

Creative Commons, CC, is a licensing system that authors can use to share material openly. There are several different licences that specify how the material may be used, adapted and shared. Material published as Open Access often has a CC licence.

• About CC licences
  Information about different CC licences.
  
• Find content you can share, use and remix
  Search for and use material with a CC licence.
  

Rules for e-resources

Each publisher has its own rules for how you may borrow, copy, print and download electronic material, such as e-books and scholarly articles. Information about what applies is often available in connection with the record in the library’s search service. More information is available via the following links:

• E-book publishers
  Information about the rules that apply to different e-book publishers.
  
• Terms of use for e-resources
  Guidelines for how you may use electronic material.
  

How may you use images?

Images, photographs and illustrations are protected by copyright. You therefore need the permission of the copyright holder to use them. This also applies if the image is freely available on the web.

You must have permission if you want to:

• Use the image in your work
• Modify or adapt the image
• Share or publish the image

In addition to obtaining permission, you must clearly state who the copyright holder is by citing the source.

Images you may use

There are image databases where you may use images without asking the copyright holder for permission. The images are subject to different licence terms that regulate how they may be used. Read the licence terms carefully. In most cases, you must credit the creator when using the material.

• Pexels
  Freely available images and videos that you can use at no cost.
  
• Pixabay
  An image database with material that can be downloaded or purchased for use in various projects.
  
• Unsplash
  A platform where users share photos and illustrations that may be used free of charge.
  

AI and copyright

The use and development of AI raise many questions about copyright. The technology is still relatively new, and it is not yet fully clear how copyright law applies to material created with AI.

Be cautious before sharing material with an AI tool. If the material is protected by copyright, sharing it may constitute infringement.

If you use AI in the search, writing or research process, you are still responsible for the content and quality of your text, and for complying with copyright and plagiarism rules.

What applies to scholarly material?

When it comes to scholarly articles and other research material, the rules are not always clear. Some publishers do not allow you to upload subscription-based articles. Others may have restrictions on how their material may be used.

Even articles published as Open Access under a Creative Commons licence may have specific conditions. Always check what applies.

If you are unsure, contact the copyright holder or the publisher to ask how the material may be used.

• Assess copyright when using generative AI
  Information about copyright and AI from Digg, the Swedish Agency for Digital Government. Available in Swedish.
• Using CC-Licensed Works for AI training
  Creative Commons explains how their licences may be used in connection with AI and the training of language models.

AI-generated images

Many AI models have been trained on large datasets. These may include copyright-protected material, such as images and films. In some cases, a model may generate content that resembles an existing work. If the similarity is substantial, this may constitute copyright infringement.

It is often difficult to determine whether an AI-generated image infringes copyright. Be mindful of how you use the material. One way to assess the risk is to perform a reverse image search to check whether similar images already exist.

As the legal situation is still evolving, you should be particularly cautious when publishing or sharing AI-generated images or videos, especially in public or commercial contexts. Do not upload copyright-protected material to an AI tool.

• Copyright in AI-generated works
  Read more about copyright in AI-generated works at Digg, the Swedish Agency for Digital Government. Available in Swedish.
  

Please note:

• AI may lead to unintentional plagiarism. If you paste longer passages from sources and ask AI to rewrite them, the result may be too similar to the original or lack proper citations. You are always responsible for ensuring correct referencing and that your text is based on your own reasoning and reflections.
• Do not share copyright-protected material. Uploading or pasting articles, book chapters, images or other protected material into an AI tool may violate both copyright and licence terms. In general, it is not permitted to upload copyright-protected material, such as articles or book chapters, to AI tools or other external services. Always check the publisher’s licence terms before using the material.
• Do not use AI as a source. AI can help you formulate and structure text, but it does not replace verifiable sources. Always check facts in original sources and follow your course instructions regarding what is permitted.