A survey conducted by Savanta in 2024, commissioned by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), found that:
- 72% of UK professionals agreed that copyright is a risk for their business
- 45% of respondents do not agree that their company is taking sufficient steps to reduce the risk of accidental copyright infringement
This should be a wake-up call for responsible organisations across the UK.
At CLA, we understand that training your workforce on topics like cybersecurity awareness, GDPR, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are essential components of your employee onboarding process. But have you ever considered the hidden risks your organisation might face due to copyright knowledge gaps? Addressing this is crucial to ensure a well-rounded understanding of compliance.
Copyright can often be a complex and misunderstood topic, with numerous misconceptions circulating. Many of your colleagues may not even realise that their assumptions about copyright and content reuse are incorrect, potentially putting your organisation at risk of infringement.
Copyright laws still apply on a large majority of published content online, and you must obtain the necessary rights to use someone else’s published work.
So, let’s debunk some common copyright myths together…
Copyright myth one: My organisation doesn’t print, photocopy or scan, so our infringement risk is low
Reality: 81% of content used by UK professionals is digital or web-based as opposed to print or hardcopy, according to our survey.
In the modern digital workplace, various forms of digital copying can happen without you or your colleagues even noticing. This includes copying and pasting from online subscriptions into reports, briefings, or emails, saving articles electronically on servers or PCs, and sharing or hosting external articles on your website.
The video below highlights common workplace actions that can lead to copyright infringement.
Copyright myth two: If content is free on the internet, it can be copied and reused freely
Reality: That’s not the case.
Just because content is available for free on the internet does not mean it can be reused without permission. Copyright laws still apply on a large majority of published content online, and you must obtain the necessary rights to use someone else’s published work.
Copyright myth three: Subscribing to a publication provides copyright permissions
Reality: Subscriptions give you access to content, but it’s essential to recognise the difference between accessing and having the rights to copy and share it.
Many publications have explicit copyright statements that prohibit copying, storing, or sharing. So, subscribing to a service doesn’t automatically grant you the right to reuse its content. Misinterpretation of subscription access can inadvertently lead to copyright infringement.
Copyright myth four: It doesn’t impact anyone when copyright is ignored
Reality: It does!
Behaving responsibly in the realm of copyright supports your organisations governance framework and corporate social responsibilities (CSR). By ignoring this aspect of compliance, you potentially undermine the reputation of your organisation.
There is also the matter of rewarding others for their hard work. By copying and repurposing someone’s work without the required permission, it deprives them of the fair remuneration they would otherwise receive. By seeking the appropriate permissions when reusing published material, creators, authors, and publishers are fairly compensated for their efforts.
At CLA, we view this as a creative ecosystem – supporting creators to continue their work. Responsible copying practices ensure that quality content continues to be created, allowing us all to benefit from it.
Copyright myth five: We pay to receive press clippings so we can circulate them to anyone internally
Reality: There are still restrictions to adhere to.
You’re not alone. Thousands of UK organisations use media monitoring providers to access media coverage. There are limitations set in the agreement between CLA and these Media Monitoring agencies. Specifically, it only permits one recipient in the organisation to receive the coverage, and it restricts further sharing, saving, and copying of received media coverage within your organisation (also referred to as multiple access).
If your organisation receives media clippings from a PR agency or a Media Monitoring Organisation, it’s highly likely that you need copyright permission to share these clippings internally. This includes actions such as saving them to a shared drive, emailing, printing, copying, or even forwarding these clippings within your organisation.
Elevating your understanding of copyright at work
We started by debunking five common myths, but there are many more misunderstandings and knowledge gaps surrounding copyright. CLA’s CPD-certified course, Copyright in the Workplace, addresses these issues and ensures your team is well-informed. The course covers copyright law basics, workplace copying scenarios, and licence types.
Designed to engage users through an interactive, narrative-led approach, the course is accompanied by a Copyright Companion tool to resolve ongoing copyright-related queries. CLA, a regulated, not-for-profit organisation, has over 40 years of experience providing copyright licences to UK-based organisations, mitigating infringement risks, and supporting creativity.
Act responsibly. Protect your organisation. Support creatives. Copy, Right.
