Here you will find information about the Swedish Copyright Act and advice on how to use other people's texts, images, maps, and tables. On the page, you will find specific examples of how to find and refer to images with free licences such as Creative Commons. You can also read about what applies using AI-generated material you created yourself.
The Swedish Copyright Act (SFS 1960:729) gives the creator of a work the right to determine its use. Copyright also applies to works published on the internet.
Copyright consists of two parts:
A work’s creator(s) can transfer the economic rights to someone else, such as a publisher. The publisher in question then becomes the copyright holder of the economic rights, but the creators of the work always retain the moral rights.
What is protected by copyright law?
Copyright arises automatically and lasts for 70 years after the death of the author (in the EU). If the work is anonymous, the copyright lasts 70 years after it is made public.
For a work to be protected by copyright, it must have a certain degree of originality and autonomy, known as the ‘threshold of originality’. In Sweden, the originality requirements are set low, which means that most works are protected.
Examples of works protected by copyright:
How can I use other people's texts?
You can use thoughts and ideas from other texts as long as you give a complete reference in which you mention the author by name. In the first instance, you should rewrite what someone else has written in your own words, known as paraphrasing. You may quote individual passages from someone else's text, but only when you cannot reproduce the content or meaning of the text in any other way. The quote must not be longer than necessary.
Free online course on plagiarism
Take the online course that the library has helped to develop. The course will teach you to recognise and avoid plagiarism and correctly refer to other people's texts.
Online course: Plagiarism training
More information
Avoiding plagiarism
Writing references
What applies to material that I generate myself with AI?
Material you create in an AI tool is generally not protected by copyright as a human does not create it. However, there may be restrictions on how you can use the result. Therefore, carefully check the terms and conditions of the service you will use.
AI images that you have created yourself
As you do not own the copyright, you must state that an image is AI-generated and which tool you used to create the image. Usually, you provide this information in the immediate proximity of the image or a list of figures.
Template:
Name of the work, created in (tool name), author.
Example:
‘Fox in sunset’ created in Imaging Art by Anna-Karin Åsander.
Please provide the description (prompt) you have used to create the image.
More information
Copyright on AI-images (Swedish Intellectual Property Office)
Different rules apply to images, tables, maps and other figures than to literary works. If you want to use someone else's figure, you need permission from all copyright holders before including it in your text.
Information on who owns the copyright to a work can usually be found in the context of the work. For books, it can be found on the title page or in a list of figures. For scholarly articles, you can often request permission directly on the publisher's website under ‘Request permissions’ or equivalent. The permission should be in writing and saved; your text should indicate that you have been permitted to use the work.
The examples below show how to include a figure in your text once you have obtained permission.
Images
Cite the source directly next to each image and in the reference list or a separate list of figures.
Example
Figure 1. Name of the work. Name of the creator. Reproduced with permission.
More information
Copyright (Writing Guide)
Photographs
Always state the photographer’s name, even if the photograph is free to use. If there is no indication of the image's creator, this should be stated. For example, write ‘unknown photographer’.
Example
Figure 1. Name of photograph, including any person or artwork depicted and artist. Name of photographer/unknown photographer. Reproduced with permission.
More information
Copyright (Writing Guide)
Tables and charts
You are always entitled to refer to data from someone else's table or chart if you reference it correctly. If you also want to include a table or chart from a book or something similar, you need permission to do so if the illustration has a clear pictorial layout.
If you are unable to obtain permission from the copyright holder, you can present the data in a new way by turning a table into a new chart or a chart into a new table. Another possibility is merging information from several tables to create a new table.
Example - table
Table 1. Name or description of the table. Name of the table creator. Reproduced with permission.
More information
Copyright (Writing Guide)
Maps and geodata
Maps and databases of geographical information are protected by the Swedish Copyright Act (1960:729) and cover both printed and electronic material. If you want to use maps in your publication, you must apply for permission from the copyright holder. Older printed maps, where the copyright has expired, are not copyright protected.
Maps owned by the state are managed by Lantmäteriet (The Land Survey) and are freely available under a CC0 licence. Lantmäteriet must be cited as the source.
Terms and conditions for research, education and cultural activities (Lantmäteriet)
You can find more detailed information on how to cite in text and reference lists in resources describing different reference systems, such as the Harvard and Oxford library guides.
If you want to use an image or other figure in your text, look for works that have an open licence. This means that the author has already given permission for the work to be used by others.
Different licences govern how a work can be used. A commonly used licence system is Creative Commons, which has six licences governed by different terms. Various services may also have their own licence systems.
Find images with open licence
Some good services for finding images with open licences are
Use filtering when searching for images with an open licence, as some services also contain images that are not free to use. Some images may not be used for commercial purposes.
You must double-check the licence/terms of use of the individual image before using it.
Remember that you still must write a reference to where you downloaded the image.
Referring to an image with a Creative Commons licence
When you use an image with a Creative Commons licence, you need to write a reference next to the image. The attribution should include information about the image and its licence. You should also link to the work, the creator and the licence of the work.
Example:
“Colorful Bird Houses” by Lynn Friedman is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
You must also use the licence information when referencing in text and in the reference list. More detailed information on this can be found in resources describing different reference systems, such as the Harvard and Oxford library pages.
If you have made changes to the image
If the image has a Creative Commons licence that allows modifications, you can make changes to the image. In this case, you should also indicate how the work was modified in your licence information. Please note that modifications are not allowed if the licence has the condition ‘ND’ (no derivatives).
Example:
“Nestled in the mountains” by Emma K Alexandra is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 / text added to the original
If your changes are so significant that you have created a new work, you should also provide licence information for the new work.
Images that are in the public domain
Older material, where the copyright has expired, becomes public domain and is then completely free to use. This type of material can be labelled as public domain.
If you use material labelled as public domain, you should still include the creator's name in your attribution, as is good practice. Also, include the name of the authority or organisation that made the work available.
Example:
“A Male Teal” by Johann Jakob Walther. The Metropolitan Museum, The Online Collection. Public domain.
More information
Recommended practices for attribution (Creative Commons Wiki)
In-depth: The library's online course on Creative Commons licences
The library offers an online course on Creative Commons licences in scholarly publishing. The course is free, online and completely open, following the MOOC (massive open online course) concept.
Open online course: Creative Commons licences in scholarly publishing
When you have written your own text, such as a student essay or a thesis, it is automatically protected by copyright just like any other work. You can read more about copyright and publishing here:
Copyright and open licences when publishing
The PRV School online
Learn more about copyright from the Swedish Intellectual Property Office.
Avoiding plagiarism
Make sure that it is clear which words and ideas are your own.
Plagiarism Training
Go directly to the online course about plagiarism.
Do you have questions about how to use other people's texts and images in your text? Visit our drop-in sessions or send us a question via the contact form, and we will help you. You can also submit simpler questions via chat or ask staff at the information desk.