A guide to using copyrighted videos

According to Facebook, video can hold our attention five times longer than a static image. Using videos on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram can help spread your story, educate viewers and fundraise.

 

But you can’t just use any great clip you find online. If you don’t have the right permission to use it, you’re committing a legal offense.

 

 

What is copyright?

 

Copyright law (note the word ‘law’) applies to all kinds of intellectual property – including literature, music, photography, as well as film.

 

Whoever creates the work (of whatever format) doesn’t need to apply or register for copyright, they automatically own the rights to it. It’s a way of protecting the work, making sure it can’t be reproduced or copied without permission.

 

And a video doesn’t have to have a copyright symbol or be directly accredited to someone to show its copyrighted. So if you find a video clip, and it’s not credited to anyone, you can’t just help yourself.

 

In the UK, copyright legislation comes under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

 

 

Why should charities be aware of copyright?

 

If you use a video without the permission of the person who owns the copyright, you’re committing copyright infringement. That runs the risk of costing you time and money, as well as reputational damage.

 

If you’ve found some film you want to use, then you’ll need to get permission from whoever owns the copyright.

 

 

Who holds the copyright?

 

If you want to use a video, or a clip of a video, you first need to find out who holds the copyright. Most often, this will be the person who created it. (Exceptions can include if someone has created a video on behalf of an organisation they’re working for).

 

With 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s a good place to look for content. YouTube make it clear, however, that they can’t grant the rights to use content uploaded to the platform or help you find out who owns it.

 

You’ll need to track down the owner yourself, and that can often be done by using the contact information in the creator’s channel. But be aware, the person who uploaded the video might not be the creator or the owner of the copyright. You may have to dig a little deeper to find the right person or organisation.

 

In addition, if the video you want to use features sections of other copyrighted videos or snippets of music tracks (no matter how short the sections may be) you’ll need to clear copyright for those too.

 

 

Which licence do I need?

 

A licence will spell out the exact terms upon which you’re allowed to use the video. Licences include:

• A paid licence (fees will vary depending on how you want to use it)
• A royalty-free licence (once you’ve paid to use it once, you can use it for almost any other purpose)
• A Creative Commons licence (there are six different types of CC licence, allowing you to use the image under certain conditions – almost always attributing it to the copyright holder)