Copyright is a property right that protects original material that people create such as:

	
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Charts and images

## A Civil Servant'S Guide To Copyright…

	
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Reports and guidance
	
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Websites and blogs
When you create original works they automatically qualify for copyright protection. As civil servants we have a responsibility to respect copyright. Copyright is sometimes shown by using a copyright symbol but even material without the symbol is protected by copyright. If you are a civil servant the copyright in all the material you produce at work will belong to the Crown.

A licence is an agreement that allows people to use work protected by copyright. The default licence for Crown copyright is the Open Government Licence.

## Quick Guide…

Material made available under the Open Government Licence means that you are free to:

	
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Copyright is a property right
	
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Copy
	
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Always ask permission to use material you find on the internet
	
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Adapt
	
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Publish
	
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The Open Government Licence means anyone can use and reuse your work
	
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Always acknowledge the copyright holder
This means you can use other civil servants' work and it makes government information open, accessible and reusable for all.

	
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Never reuse material without permission
If you wish to use any images or text that are not made available under the OGL you must make sure you have permission from the copyright holder. This includes material you find on the internet.

Once you have identified who the copyright holder is, you need to ask for permission to reuse the work on behalf of HMG, in print and electronic form, throughout the world for the duration of copyright. Remember once you have permission, always acknowledge the copyright holder if they have asked you to. This is usually by including a line of text giving them credit for their material.

© Crown Copyright 2020
You may use and re-use this information (not including logos) free of 
charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government 
Licence v3.0.

Never use pictures, text or images without the permission of the copyright holder unless the material is made available under an open licence. It is especially important as a civil servant because you are asking for permission on behalf of HMG.