Copyright and Creative Commons licenses
Copyright gives you, as a researcher, control over how your material is used. Through open access publishing and Creative Commons licences, research can be shared freely while clearly defining the conditions for reading, citing and reusing the material.
What is copyright?
Copyright is the legal right that automatically arises when someone creates a work, such as a text, an image or a musical composition. It gives the creator exclusive rights to decide how the work may be used. Copyright is the legal framework that protects creators while also defining how others are allowed to use their work.
Swedish copyright law provides strong moral rights, including the right to attribution and protection against derogatory treatment of the work. These rights cannot be waived.
Copyright in research
As a researcher, you create texts, data, illustrations and presentations that are automatically protected by copyright. This means that you have the exclusive right to decide how your work may be used, and that others may not copy, distribute or modify your material without permission. Under Swedish law, copyright is always held by the individual creator, not by the employer, even when the work is created within the scope of employment.
If you publish through a publisher, the publishing agreement may affect which rights you retain. It is therefore important to review the terms carefully before signing any agreement.
Open access and Creative Commons licences
Publishing open access means that the material is freely available online without paywalls. This can be done through publishers’ paid open access options or through self‑archiving (green open access) in a platform or open repository, such as an institutional repository. Creative Commons (CC) licences are used to clarify the conditions under which published material may be reused.
The most open licence, CC BY, allows commercial use and adaptation of the material, provided that the creator is properly credited. Other licence variants may restrict commercial use, prevent adaptations (such as translations), or require that the material is shared under the same licence. The choice of licence depends on the type of material and how you want it to be reused.
Open access publishing and the use of Creative Commons licences in Sweden are primarily governed by research funder and institutional policies, not by copyright law itself.
Get assistance choosing a license on the Creative Commons website
Publishing via a publisher while retaining your rights
When publishing without open access in a traditional subscription‑based journal, it is important to understand which rights are transferred. Some publishers require exclusive publishing rights, while others allow self‑archiving in an open repository.
Retaining the right to share versions of your work makes it possible to reach more readers and increase the impact of your research.
Research publications
The author owns the copyright and can make publications freely available unless a special agreement prohibiting this has been signed.
Under Swedish law, copyright is always held by the individual creator, not by the employer, even when the work is created within the scope of employment.
When you publish in a traditional subscription‑based journal, you enter into an agreement with the publisher that may limit your rights. Many publishers allow self‑archiving (green open access) under certain conditions. Check the publisher’s or journal’s policy using the Policyfinder tool.
In open access publishing, a Creative Commons (CC) licence defines how the article may be reused. The licence may be applied automatically by the journal or selected by the author.
Doctoral theses
The author owns the copyright and the work can be made freely accessible.
Contact the publisher/editor and ask for permission.
The author owns the copyright to the summarising introduction which can be made freely accessible. Access to other included publications will be determined by the agreements entered into with the respective publishers.
LU has general agreements with the following publishers: IEEE, Elsevier, Cambridge University Press and Portland Press.
Contact
Questions about copyright? Contact us:
publicera [at] lub [dot] lu [dot] se
In some cases, Lund University’s legal division can also be of assistance.