Using Copyrighted Material Legally

To use another person's work in your own media product, you normally need the owner's permission or a licence that covers how you use it. A producer should be able to prove permission was given before publication.

Steps to take

1. Find out who owns the copyright. It may not be the person who posted the asset — a photographer might have sold the rights to a picture library.
2. Contact the owner and ask for permission, explaining exactly how the asset will be used.
3. Negotiate and pay a fee or royalty, or buy a licence that matches that use.
4. Acknowledge the author, creator or owner on the finished work, in the credits or beside the asset.
5. Keep evidence of the permission — emails, signed agreements, licence numbers or receipts — so it can be proved if questioned.

A school eco-club wants a local illustrator's drawing on a poster. They email the illustrator, agree £25 for a run of 200 posters, credit them under the drawing, and save the email and receipt in the project folder.

Royalties, royalty-free and licences

A royalty is a payment made to a creator each time their work is used or sold, so a popular asset keeps earning. Royalty free does not mean free: a one-off licence fee is usually still needed, and once paid the licence may allow repeated use for ever. The watermark on a preview is only removed when that licence is bought, so this must happen before you publish.

Fees depend on how the asset will be used — a clip in a paid advert costs far more than in a school newsletter — so the correct licence must be bought before use, never afterwards.

When permission is refused

An owner may say no, especially if the use is controversial or could damage their brand or reputation. The producer must accept it and buy another asset or create their own. Respecting IP rights means getting permission, paying fees or royalties, crediting creators and keeping records.