The Swedish Copyright Act (URL 1960:729) gives the creator of a work the right to decide how it is to be used. The law protects literary works - such as novels, articles and translations of such texts - and artistic works - like for example, music, photographs, and computer programs. The law also covers works that have been published or been made available on the internet.

According to the Swedish Copyright Act, a work is automatically protected until 70 years have passed after the death of its creator. The law states that the creator has both a right to economic compensation, and a moral right to always be given credit if his/her work is used. If you wish to use a work that has been created by someone else in, for example your presentation, publication, or teaching session, please note that you often have an obligation to get the copyright holder’s permission first.

The Swedish Copyright Act at the Swedish Riksdag

More information on images and copyright

Exceptions

There are exceptions to the copyright law. For example, to copy materials that have been made public for private use, and to cite other people’s works is permitted. However, the moral right always applies, which means that one must cite the source when referring to another person’s work. 

The Agreement with Bonus Copyright Access

The copyright law also covers materials acquired by the library. There are usually certain agreements in place that regulate how this material may be used, such agreements can, for example, be the licenses for electronic resources that a library has. As a university employee, you are covered by the framework of Lund University’s agreement with Bonus Copyright Access: The Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Agreement (PDF, opens in new window). According to the agreement, teachers and students may, to a certain degree, copy and share copyright protected material, analogue or digital, that have been made public.

More information about the agreement on Bonus' website (PDF, opens in new window)

Research Publications

Read more about making research publications available on our pages about open access.

Reusing others' material in a scholarly publication is usually permitted provided that the author/creator is attributed correctly. However, sometimes permission may be required, e.g. in commercial publications. A letter template for seeking permission is available at Stockholm University Library's website: Guides for publishing contracts and permission requests.

Creative Commons

There are alternative agreements, such as Creative Commons licenses, that make it possible to use and share works. By using a Creative Commons license, creators can select under what terms they wish to release their work.

More information on the Creative Commons website

Online course on CC-licences in scholarly publishing at Umeå University Library

Guide to Creative Commons for Scholarly Publications and Educational Resources

If you have any questions regarding copyright, you are welcome to contact us: forskningsstodhtbibl.luse