Image Reuse Tool

This guide is intended to assist the Tufts community in navigating image reuse. You are solely responsible for actions you take in reliance on this guide. 

 

Ask Us or consult with the Office of University Counsel with any further questions.

 

What do you need help with?
Did you take the picture or create the image yourself?
Are you the copyright holder?
Does the image state that your reuse is allowed?

For example, is this stated through a Creative Commons license, library subscription license, other contractual agreement, or is it in the public domain?

Great! You can reuse the image according to the specifications. Be sure to cite resources appropriately.

How do you intend to use the image?

Use in classroom teaching, as well some instances in online courses, is permitted under Section 110 of the Copyright law. Fair Use may also apply.

 

Many of our library-subscribed resources explicitly allow for educational reuse within the Tufts community, such as DynaMedex,  Ovid,  AccessMedicine, and  ClinicalKey. 

 

If your use does not apply to these situations, request permission from the copyright holder in order to reuse the material. Look for the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

 

For images published in books or articles, look for a link directly on the website to request permissions (link may say “Get rights,” “Permissions,” “Reprints,” or similar).  You may need to set up an account with RightsLink to complete the request.  Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission.

 

See the Office of University Counsel’s Guidelines for Instructors for Using Copyrighted Materials for more details about your specific use.

 

Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse.  Be sure to cite the image you use!

Because these works are typically made openly available after submission, most notably in the Tufts Digital Library, permission from the rights holder may be necessary.

 

Look for the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

 

For images published in books or articles, look for a link directly on the website to request permissions (link may say “Get rights,” “Permissions,” “Reprints,” or similar).  You may need to set up an account with RightsLink to complete the request. Read more about Copyright Permissions.

 

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse. Be sure to cite the image you use!

Consider the factors of fair use, the balance in copyright law that addresses the importance of educational advancement which may allow your use.

 

If not applicable, locate the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

 

For images published in books or articles, look for a link directly on the website to request permissions (link may say “Get rights,” “Permissions,” “Reprints,” or similar).  You may need to set up an account with RightsLink to complete the request. Read more about Copyright Permissions.

 

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse. Be sure to cite the image you use!

Fair use generally does not apply for publications, so permission is often needed.

 

Look for the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

 

For images published in books or articles, look for a link directly on the website to request permissions (link may say “Get rights,” “Permissions,” “Reprints,” or similar).  You may need to set up an account with RightsLink to complete the request.   If the original publication and place where you are publishing are both signatories to the STM Permission Guidelines, you may not need to request permission.  Read more about Copyright Permissions.

 

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. 

 

Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse. Be sure to cite the image you use!

How do you intend to use the image?
Was the image you would like to reuse published by a signatory to the STM Permissions Guidelines?
View more information about STM Permission Guidelines.

Because these works are typically made openly available after submission, most notably in the Tufts Digital Library, permission from the rights holder may be necessary.

Even though you utilized print materials, some publishers may allow permission requests from their website, particularly from where the full text is accessed. Others may broker requests through the Copyright Clearance Center. You may need to create a login.

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse.

Consider the factors of fair use, the balance in copyright law that addresses the importance of educational advancement which may allow your use.

Fair use generally does not apply for publications, so images that are under copyright and have no explicit allowances for reuse will generally require permission from the rights holder in order to be reused in this way.

Look for the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse. Be sure to cite the image you use!

Educational use is generally allowed under section 101(1) of the Copyright Act for in-classroom use of materials.

Public use or disclosure, including use in online distance learning programs, may not be covered by this exception.

If you are unsure about your specific use, consider the factors of fair use to determine if it is allowed. Fair use is the balance in copyright law that addresses the importance of educational advancement.

If fair use does not apply, try contacting the copyright holder directly for permission. Look for the image attribution and contact that person/organization. Sites, like Flickr, let you message the contributor directly through their site.

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse.

Consider the factors of fair use, the balance in copyright law that addresses the importance of educational advancement which may allow your use.

If not, try contacting the copyright holder directly.

Ask Us if you are having trouble requesting permission. Alternatively, find a suitable substitute image that allows your reuse. Be sure to cite the image you use!

Are you using the image for in-person teaching, or for specific online learning situations or fair use circumstances covered under U.S. Copyright Law?

See information about copyright, and in particular as it relates to online teaching, and fair use.

Great!  You can reuse the image this way without seeking permission from the copyright holder.

 

Some library-subscribed resources, such as ClinicalKey and AccessMedicine, provide guidance for how to download and cite their images.