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The UCL Copyright Literacy Strategy (2024-2027) sets out the values, aims and actions driving the development of copyright literacy across the UCL community.
Photographer:Mary Hinkley. © UCL Creative Media Services
Contents
- Introduction
- Vision
- Our values and aims
- Implementation
- Measures of success
- Governance
- Related UCL policies and frameworks
Introduction
Copyright literacy refers to a set of values, behaviours, knowledge and skills that enable people to make ethical and informed decisions when using and creating copyright materials (see original definition by Jane Secker and Chris Morrison, 2016, p. 211).
UCL is committed to supporting copyright literacy across its different communities. Our copyright literacy strategy underpins this commitment. Our vision, values and strategy for copyright literacy support UCL’s strategic plan 2022-2027.
This document was informed by the University of Kent's Copyright Literacy Strategy 2020-2025.
Vision
People working and studying at UCL will be able to understand the place copyright holds in an increasingly open, innovative and fast-changing world and apply this understanding when accessing, using and creating knowledge.
Our values and aims
We seek to develop a culture in which copyright literacy informs decisions people make around research, learning, teaching and professional activities, in line with UCL’s values of integrity and mutual accountability, openness and inclusion, care and respect, rigour and innovation and the values that underpin the LCCOS strategy. We will be proactive in providing to our staff and students the agency, information and training to be:
1. Responsible and ethical
Our staff and students will be expected to respect the legal frameworks and contractual obligations underpinning copyright. Beyond this, they will understand the importance of respecting others' creative works and will create and license their own works guided by open science and research integrity principles.
2. Critical and open to uncertainty and risk, with a view to support openness and inclusion in the creation and dissemination of knowledge
- Our staff and students will be given the knowledge, confidence and opportunities to adopt a critical approach towards current copyright assumptions and developments; particularly with respect to open science and other initiatives lifting barriers to access and reuse of knowledge.
- With support from copyright and open science experts, our staff and students will understand, and work with, nuances and uncertainties when it comes to interpreting copyright situations. This involves more confident, mindful and responsible use of copyright exceptions and fair dealing, applying a risk management approach and taking into account aspects beyond copyright (data protection, accessibility, diversity and inclusion).
- Our staff and students will have the knowledge and confidence to create, license and disseminate their own work in ways that benefit society.
3. Open to innovation and change
In line with the nature of copyright, our staff and students will understand that concepts (e.g. originality, protection, infringement and ownership) are dependent on the context and interpretations of different stakeholders, vary across countries, and are continuously shaped by legal precedents. This is particularly relevant in the rapidly evolving era of AI. Therefore a flexible and continuously informed approach is necessary.
Implementation
A detailed implementation plan (Word file) is available to UCL students and staff. It will be reviewed regularly by the UCL Copyright Literacy Steering group and the broader UCL community. Key activities underpinning this plan are built around three themes:
- Knowledge, understanding and confidence
- Community and culture
- External engagement.
Knowledge, understanding and confidence
Goals
- Understand, monitor and develop the copyright confidence of different UCL communities.
- Further develop the current copyright literacy programme, with input from the UCL community.
- Embed copyright literacy into relevant course modules, training sessions and guidelines.
- Ensure the above is informed by specific needs and practices of various UCL audiences.
Community and culture
Goals
- Build a copyright literacy community with members from across UCL, to share practices and concerns, co-create approaches to copyright literacy and foster engagement with copyright issues in a collaborative environment.
- Launch copyright case studies to encourage best practice and highlight diverse approaches to copyright.
- Extend collaborations to external partners, including UCL alumni and charities.
External engagement
Goals
- Ensure that developments in areas critical for copyright, including open science and AI, continue to inform the implementation of our copyright literacy strategy.
- Encourage and empower the UCL community to contribute to copyright consultations, events and projects related to copyright and higher education.
Measures of success
- Repeat copyright confidence survey following awareness-raising and enhancement of training and support activities. May 2025 (two years from first survey, conducted in May 2023).
- Levels of engagement as measured by the number of copyright enquiries, consultations, uptake/completion of online tutorials, attendance at scheduled teaching sessions and/or number of departmental engagement opportunities. Measured year by year.
- Case studies of completed projects identified and implemented via the UCL Copyright Literacy Community. Reported year by year.
Governance
A copyright literacy steering group with representatives from various areas of Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science (LCCOS) has been established to oversee the drafting and implementation of this strategy. Members of the group include professionals with expertise in information literacy, open access, open science and archives, to ensure that developments in these areas inform the approach to copyright literacy at UCL.
The strategy was also reviewed by the core UCL Copyright Literacy Community, comprising academic and professional services staff and students from across UCL.
Following consultation with the wider UCL community, a final version of the strategy was presented at the LCCOS Senior Management Team meeting in February 2025. The strategy will be reviewed and updated in 2027.