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Images in the Classroom

Images are subject to copyright protection. Most images found on the web are copyright-protected and must be used in accordance with the Copyright Act and license terms, unless they explicitly indicate otherwise. Follow these copyright best practices for using images in teaching and learning at UNB.  

Where did the image originate?

Created by an Instructor

If the image is your original work, go ahead and incorporate it into your teaching. 

Copied from Digital Source

If you found the image on the web, check the “terms of use” or permissions to ensure that copying and sharing are permitted. If you cannot locate license terms, assume the image is protected by copyright.  

Creative Commons Licenses are popular tools among creators that specify the terms of use for online content, such as images. Works in the public domain are materials no longer covered by copyright law where the term of copyright (the life of the author or creator plus seventy years) has expired. Explore image collections with less copyright restrictions that are intended for mass distribution:

Images with Creative Commons licenses may still have specific terms of use attached, such as attribution.

If you are sourcing images from e-books, check the “terms of use” or permissions to ensure that copying and sharing are permitted. To use content from UNB Libraries’ e-books, explore this “check permitted use” tool.

If you are sourcing images from online textbooks or other online materials from the publisher, check the “terms of use” or permissions to ensure that copying and sharing are permitted.

Copied from Print Source

If you sourced the image from print, you can copy up to 10% of images, within the limits of fair dealing, from a book or an article. For instance, if a book or an article list 20 figures, you can copy 2 figures within the limits of fair dealing. 

What is the context for image use?

Teaching Materials Intended for Display or Presentation 

Explore online resources for images with less copyright restrictions. If you are unable to find open alternatives to the copyright-protected image you wish to use, you can still use it with conditions. The educational institutions exception, section 30.04 of the Copyright Act, enables instructors to temporarily display copyright-protected works available on the web in the classroom under specific conditions. In an online teaching environment, to meet these conditions you must:  

  • credit the creator and source of the image, 

  • use the original image—not someone else’s copy, 

  • not circumvent digital locks (such as passwords, encryption software, access codes, and digital watermarks) or any notices prohibiting distribution, 

  • limit image use to display or presentation purposes, such as lecture video, in order to restrict further dissemination.  

Teaching Materials Intended for Distribution – Downloading, Printing, or Sharing between Students

Explore online resources for images with less copyright restrictions. If you are unable to find open alternatives to the copyright-protected image you wish to use, you can still use it with conditions. Fair dealing enables instructors to incorporate copyright-protected works available on the web in the classroom under specific conditions where you must: 

  • review and confirm the image is essential for teaching a particular concept, 

  • review and confirm no openly available image exists as a suitable alternative to the copyright-protected one,   

  • attribute the creator and source of the image, 

  • use the original image—not someone else’s copy, 

  • not circumvent digital locks (such as passwords, encryption software, access codes, and digital watermarks) or any notices prohibiting distribution, 

  • take steps to limit further distribution—for instance, include a notice in a slide presentation that lets your students know that reproduction of this content outside of course use is prohibited.

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