Presentations and posters

Suppose you want to use other people’s material in your presentations or posters. What do you have to consider in order not to infringe the copyright of the original creator? In this guide you can read the most important rules for using various materials such as text, photographs, images and/or films in presentation or posters.

Using other people’s material

Do you want to make a presentation or a poster and do you want to use other people’s material? Then use:

Freely accessible (open access) material with a CC-licence
The options for use are more or less extensive depending on the Creative Commons-licence used.
CC Search; search engine for images
You search for content that you can share, use and remix via https://search.creativecommons.org. The site provides access to several search engines for images and ensures that you only search for works with a licence for reuse.
Filters in search engines
The main search engines (e.g. Google, Flickr and YouTube) for websites, images, videos, etc. have a filter option that allows you to search specifically for materials with a particular right of use or licence.
Special websites with materials for reuse
Sites such as Wikimedia Commons, Europeana or Wikiwijsleermiddelenplein offer large quantities of material with a licence for reuse.
Stock sites
On stock sites you can find photos, images and audio(visual) works that you can reuse for various media. These are often commercial sites, but there are also stock sites that offer free stock photographs with very broad options for reuse. Note: there are also stock sites that offer both free stock photographs and copyrighted photographs that you need to pay for. Examples of websites where you can find copyright-free photographs and illustrations:
- Pixabay
- Pexels
- MMT
Right to quote
If you are using copyrighted material, use the right to quote. When quoting copyrighted material, permission is not required from the copyright holder(s) and no fees have to be paid to them. The condition is that specific requirements must be met. The quotation must:

serve a purpose; the quotation must be used as notification or review in an academic paper or for a similar purpose;
be proportionate; you should not quote more than necessary;
state the source and creator’s name;
come from a published source.

In addition, make it clear that it is a quote, for instance, by adding “image quotation” or putting a frame around it in the same way as you use inverted commas when quoting text.

Stichting UvO
Ensure that no copyrighted material is in the presentation or poster unless permission has been arranged through agreements or licences from Stichting UvO (Stichting Uitgeversorganisatie voor Onderwijslicenties). Formerly the Reader Scheme section of Stichting PRO), Videma, PictoRight, Buma Stemra and/or other image or databases.
Links
Links to images, text, videos and audio clips on the Internet is always permitted provided that these have been lawfully published.
Streaming within the educational institution
If you want to use a video or audio clip, you will have to play it directly using the “stream” option. Downloading it first and then playing it may literally only take place within the walls of the educational institution. Placing it on the ELO (Electronic Learning Environment) is not permitted (unless the licensing conditions so allow).

Acknowledgement of sources

Always ensure the correct acknowledgement of sources. This is always obligatory. You can find a practical guide for the acknowledgement of sources in higher education on The APA guidelines explained page.

Placing on intranet or ELO

Do you want to put a presentation or poster on the intranet or an ELO? Make sure to check whether the terms of contract or licence for this material allow this. Sometimes copyrighted material may be used in your presentation in class but must not be placed on an ELO or intranet. Or it may be used in class and put on an ELO but not on the intranet. Uploading your presentation or poster to the Internet does not usually fall within the applicable terms of contract or licence.

Questions? get in touch with your Copyright Information Point (AIP)

Do you have further questions about this quick reference guide? Please contact one of the members of staff at the Copyright Information Point (AIP) of your institution.