Copyright guidance for student-made videos

Please note this guidance should be read in conjunction with any guidance and regulations provided by your academic department.

There are a wide range of issues to consider before making a video, particularly one that will be uploaded to a public video sharing websites such as YouTube or Vimeo or hosted on the LSE website. Video sharing websites will require you to agree by their terms of use and have guidance about the use of copyright material, for example see the copyright advice available from YouTube.

In general it is recommended that you produce an original piece of video where you have authored the script and shot and edited the footage yourself. The following advice and guidance should be read BEFORE you embark on any video production work.

You should always check with your academic department to see whether you are required to enter into any kind of agreement prior to making your video, or to see what conditions might apply to your project in addition to the School’s various rules and regulations on student behaviour.

Securing permission for the performers in the video

If your video is going to include any people, even if they are your friends, you should always obtain their permission before making a recording. They qualify for moral and performance rights, so in professional video and film productions contracts are always signed with the performers. This is probably not necessary for student-made videos, however it is good practice to obtain permission from all the performers before you start your project.

You should not film an individual or an event such as a theatre performance or a lecture without prior permission. For example you should not film an LSE lecture or public event without the permission of the speaker and the organisers. You should also make sure you have permission from the relevant authorities if you are filming in publicly accessible privately owned spaces, such as a shopping centre, museum or library.

Inclusion of third party content

Third party content is material that has been created by another person or organisation, and to which you do not own copyright.  It may be possible to include very small amounts of a copyright work in your video if it is covered by one of the legal exceptions to copyright. These allow limited use of copyright works without the permission of the copyright holder. Further details can be found on the Government website. If relying on an exception, you also need to make sure that your use falls within what UK law calls ‘fair dealing’. If your use is not covered by a legal exception, then you will need to seek written permission to use it from the Copyright owner/s. See CopyrightUser for guidance on securing permission.

Inclusion of third party content: music and images

If you wish to use copyrighted music in your video, you will need to consider whether your use would be covered by a legal exception, or approach the copyright holder/s for permission to use their work.

If you wish to use music in your video you are strongly advised to consider using copyright-free (or royalty free) music. Some musicians and artists choose to share their material under a Creative Commons licence, which means you can use it provided you abide by the terms and conditions of this licence. A listing of music licensed under Creative Commons is available from their website.

Royalty free music is available from a number of sites, including Incompetech.

Images such as paintings or photographs should not be included without permission. Architectural works such as buildings and sculptures on public display (not in a gallery) may be included in your video. If you are searching for still or moving images to use in your video then try the Creative Commons Search which can help locate images and other types of media that artists are willing to share.

Who owns the video that is produced?

Subject to any prior agreement being put in place between you and the School, and even if the work is produced for part of your coursework at LSE, you own the copyright in the video that you produce, not LSE. You should not include the LSE logo in your video production or give any suggestion that LSE endorses or has produced your video in any way. You may include a statement that the video was produced as part of your studies at LSE.

What to do if you have any queries?

LSE Library and LSE’s Copyright Officer may be able to offer further advice. If you are unsure about any copyright issues then do ask for advice before making your video.

See CopyrightUser.org advice for film makers.