Find guidance for using copyrighted materials in your assignments.
You generally don’t need copyright permission to include images, diagrams, graphs, words, and other copyright material you sourced openly from the internet or elsewhere in your assignments you submit internally to Griffith as long as your reference this material. However, you are generally only permitted to photocopy limited amounts of other people’s works for your research or study without getting permission from the copyright owner.
Your responsibilities
- Don’t upload Griffith teaching materials, exams, assignments or your student course notes onto commercial websites such as Studocu
- Don’t download music and films or pirated textbooks from the internet
- Don’t photocopy text and other books beyond the permitted amounts
Downloading music and films from the internet
Only download legal music and films. It is a breach of the IT Code of Practice to use University equipment to download, upload, share or store music or movies without the consent of the copyright owner. If you illegally download music and films, you may face disciplinary action and have your account suspended. You could also be prosecuted by the rights holders.
Frequently asked questions
You may copy:Â
- 10% or one chapter of a hard copy book (your choice)Â
- all of the hard copy book (if the book is out of print)Â
- one article from any single issue of a hard copy journal (Where there are several articles in the journal on the same topic, more articles may be copied if you need them for the same research project)Â
- articles from library databases (as long as you don't systematically copy articles not required for your particular research assignments)  Â
- as much as the e-book you are using permits
If you think a book you need to buy is too expensive and you are a low income student facing serious financial difficulty in meeting your education costs, you may find useful information at Griffith Equity Scholarships.Â
If you are posting materials on password-protected platforms (restricted to Griffith student email and password logon) for your research, study or assignments where only your teacher and/or other Griffith students have access, you may include or adapt the following: Â
- images
- figures
- tablesÂ
- text
- videos
- music.
You can also use any other material created by others from the open internet, textbooks, or Library databases. You may also link or embed a link to YouTube videos or other web materials.Â
Remember to reference the material you use.Â
If you are posting materials on platforms accessible by others on the web, you may only include:Â
- material you createdÂ
- photographs you took (of others with their consent to use in this way)
- links (or embed links) to YouTube videos and other web materials
- Creative Commons images, videos and other web resources. See the Find free to use images guide
- materials from websites (for example, a Government website) whose Terms and Conditions permit non-profit educational use
- materials with permission from the copyright owner
Remember to always reference the material you use.
You may take notes and share these with other Griffith students for group study and group assignments.Â
However, current and past students are warned against uploading or selling Griffith University teaching materials and their student notes online or through commercial websites.Â
Griffith teaching materials include materials on Learning@Griffith such as course readings, lecture PowerPoint slides, videos and recorded lectures and tutorials. They also include the content of your live lectures and tutorials, exam materials and assignment questions.Â
The copyright in all Griffith teaching materials either belongs to Griffith University or is under licence or permission from other parties for Griffith use only. Copyright even exists in the structure and layout of your course; the order of the words your tutors say; the notes and diagrams your tutors write on the whiteboard; as well as tutorial, assignment or exam questions. Permission is required to use or adapt copyright materials belonging to others.Â
Uploading student and exam notes and other such materials relating substantially to Griffith courses on the internet and commercial websites will almost certainly be in breach of copyright law and Griffith’s IT Code of Practice.Â