Copyright of Images or Content Found Online

To use images or other types of materials found on the internet, you must have the rights to do so.

Does the online content you want to use include explicit information about the license under which it was released?

  1. Yes: Use it according to that license;
  2. No: Look for further details in the "Terms of Service" section in the website’s footer.

If there is no information about how the content can be used (or if it’s unclear), adopt the most restrictive approach and treat the image or content as if it were protected by copyright.

If the image is protected by copyright, you can:

  1. Search for “open” alternatives using Google’s advanced search or on databases that offer open content
  2. Look for alternatives on websites that provide stock images
  3. Contact the owner of the image and request permission to use it
  4. Recreate the image, always citing the original source

Tip: If an image is protected by copyright, use Google’s advanced search to look for open licenses.

 Open Licenses and How to Cite

Using Open Educational Resources in Teaching

If you are interested in exploring the world of Open Educational Resources (OER), we recommend enrolling in the course "Using Open Educational Resources in Teaching."

What are Open Educational Resources and why can they be a great support for teachers at all levels? According to UNESCO, they are “any type of educational materials that are in the public domain or introduced with an open license. The nature of these open materials means that anyone can legally and freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them. OERs range from textbooks to curricula, syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, tests, projects, audio, video and animation.”

In this MOOC you will find:

  • The fundamentals of Open Educational Resources;
  • Different perspectives on key issues;
  • Suggestions on how to experiment with OER in your courses;
  • A set of useful tools;
  • A selection of resources shared by other institutions.

Go to the course