Creating copyright material

I created a work, do I own copyright?

In general the first copyright owner of a work is the creator or author of that material, unless they have entered into an agreement to the contrary. No registration is required, or any (c) symbols required - those these can be used to note ownership.

Before you are able to copy, share, reproduce, perform or licence works be sure you are the copyright owner, and that any work of others which you have built upon or included is considered too.

At University copyright ownership can depend on your role as a student, a researcher, or a staff member. See more detail on the expanded Ownership page.

How can I allow others to use my work?

If you are the copyright owner, you can decide if any how others can use your work.

You can decide:

release with limitations under an open licence
to provide access through a commercial vendor (publisher or platform) and in some cases sign over your copyright
to waive your rights and make available in the public domain (Apply a CC0 licence, or upload to web sites which you agree to their terms)
to allow use when others contact you directly for permission.

For more information see Licencing your work.