Images in this context should be understood broadly as art, drawings, photographs, illustrations, figures and graphs.

As with text, images are also protected by copyright law. You must therefore have permission to make use of them.

The licensee may have given permission for free use of the image either by disclosing this specifically or through supplying it with a Creative Commons license. You can read more about Creative Commons.

Images in assignments

When you make use of images in assignments related to your study, then you are, as a student, covered by the agreement that exists between Aarhus University. 

The agreement allows you to make use of images found freely available on the Internet in essays or PowerPoint presentations, as long as the material is only placed on Brightspace and similar secure intranets and not published elsewhere. Always remember to include the source, regardless of whether you use the image in an assignment, PowerPoint or similar.

Exeptions to images in assignments

The Copydan agreement does not cover images from databases requiring payment or from AU Library’s e-journals or e-books.

If you want to use images from a paid database, you need to check the rules for using the images from that specific paid database.

If you want to use images from AU Library's e-journals or e-books, you should check whether you are allowed to use the material. See terms of use for the library's e-resources.

Images accompanied by text are also not covered by the agreement. Here it is the agreement with Copydan Tekst og Node you should refer to. Read more about copying, printing and scanning.

Images in assignments that you publish

If you upload an assignment to a thesis/dissertation repository, social media, your website, or similar, in such a way that the assignment becomes publicly available then you will no longer be covered by Aarhus University and Copydan BilledKunst’s Framework Agreement.

You must therefore either remove the images from the assignment or contact the copyright holders and ask for permission to use the images.

Always remember to include the source, whether you use the image in an assignment, PowerPoint or similar.

Resources you are allowed to use

See a list of examples of resources where rightholders have already granted general and universal permission for use. You can use these resources in your assignments, presentations, videos, etc. without first asking permission – even if you publish the assignment. Always remember to cite the source, regardless of whether you are using copyrighted or freely available images in an assignment, a PowerPoint presentation, etc.

Using your own images

If you take any images yourself that include people, which you then go on to use in an assignment, you must remember to get permission from the persons who appear in the photo. It is always best to get such consent in writing.