Can I download and /or print and / or distribute copyright material found on the internet?
In UK law, copyright material posted on the internet or stored on web servers is protected in the same way as material in any other media. Text and images on a website are copyrighted in the same way as material that is printed. Students or staff should ensure that they have the appropriate permission of the copyright owner(s) for the specific use of those materials. Particular attention should be paid to Terms of Use posted on most websites, which describe the uses material found on the site may be used for, e.g. downloading or printing one copy for private use, for educational, non-commercial use only, and so on. ‘Fair dealing’ for the purposes of non-commercial research and private study may apply to a student who downloads and uses material in their own work, but it is unlikely that multiple copying of that work for class use or posting on an intranet would be covered by this exemption.
