A simple guide to image copyright and NLA licences for schools

How to celebrate good press without accidentally creating a copyright problem

You would be forgiven for thinking this is all a bit pedantic.

A local paper writes something nice about your school. You want to share it. Or somebody grabs an image from Google to brighten up a web page. It feels harmless enough.

The trouble is, copyright law does not really care whether something felt harmless.

Schools can run into problems in two very common ways. The first is by using images they do not have permission to use. The second is by republishing newspaper or magazine content on their website or social media without the right licence or permission. Both are easier mistakes to make than most people realise.

Let’s take images first, because this is probably the biggest risk.

Google Images is not a free image library. It is simply a search engine. The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) says photographs, illustrations and other images will generally be protected by copyright, and that people will usually need permission if they want to copy or share them online. Google also says you should always check the licensing information before using an image.

That means a picture found through a quick Google search is not safe to use just because it was easy to find.

And yes, this does affect schools. VWV, a UK law firm that advises schools, says it is often asked to help school clients who have been threatened with copyright claims after using images found through online searches in newsletters, websites or other materials.

So what should schools do instead?

The safest options are very simple: use your own photography, use properly licensed stock images, or use images where you have clear written permission and a record of that permission.

Keeping a basic record of where an image came from is not glamorous, but it can save a lot of pain later.

The second issue is news coverage.

If a newspaper or magazine writes about your school, it is natural to want to share that coverage. The problem comes when schools copy the headline, copy a chunk of the article, upload a screenshot, or post a PDF clipping. In general, if an organisation is republishing newspaper or magazine content on its website or social media, it may need an NLA Corporate Website Republishing Licence. GOV.UK says organisations generally need this licence to make copies of newspaper and magazine content for use on their website or social media channels. NLA says this licence covers things like headlines, text extracts and PDF files.

The good news is that there is a very simple, low-risk alternative.

If you are just sharing a link and writing your own original caption, that is much safer. The CIPR guidance says you do not need an NLA licence just to forward links from newspaper websites, unless publisher terms say otherwise. NLA’s own FAQ also says organisations are allowed to post links, but not the headlines or text, without needing a licence in that context.

So, for example, these are much safer ways to share press coverage:

• “Lovely to see our school featured in the local paper this week. You can read the full article here.”

• “We’re really proud to see this story covered by the Gazette. Have a read here.”

• “Thank you to the [Local Paper] for featuring our recent community project. Full story here.”

• “It was great to welcome visitors to school last week. You can read more coverage here.”

• “We’re pleased to see our pupils’ hard work recognised in the press. Read more here.”

Those examples work because they are your own words. They point people to the original article, but they do not reproduce the headline, article text or clipping itself.

What about press releases?

This is where it gets a little more nuanced.

If your school or trust wrote the original press release, you may still own the copyright in that original wording. But that is not guaranteed in every case. NLA’s FAQ says copyright ownership can depend on the agreement with the publisher. And in practice, newspapers often edit, trim, rewrite or add to what they are sent. Even a small change can muddy the waters over what is still your original wording and what is now the publisher’s version.

So the safest rule of thumb is this: even if you believe the story came from your own press release, it is still better to share a link and describe it in your own words, rather than copying the published headline or article text.

It is the boring answer, but it is also the sensible one.

A few useful myths are worth killing off here:

“If it’s on Google, we can use it.”

No. Finding something online does not make it free to use.

“If there’s no watermark, it’s probably fine.”

No. Copyright exists automatically in original images. A watermark is not required.

“If we credit the source, that makes it okay.”

Usually not. Crediting the creator does not replace permission or a licence. This follows from the IPO guidance that permission is usually needed to copy or share protected images online.

“If we’re a school, surely there’s an exception.”

Not for general website and social media use. Educational exceptions are limited, and schools still need licences for many uses of copyright material.

If you want the simplest possible version, it is this:

For press coverage: share the link, write your own caption, do not copy the headline, do not paste the article text, do not upload a screenshot or PDF unless you have permission or the right licence.

For images: do not use Google Images as your source, use your own photos, or use properly licensed images and keep a record of where they came from.

It is also worth saying that this is becoming easier to spot. Rights holders and licensing agencies increasingly use automated tools to identify unauthorised use online, and school-facing legal advisers are clearly seeing claims arise in practice. That does not mean every mistake leads to a claim, but it does mean “nobody will notice” is not much of a strategy anymore. This point about automation is an inference from current enforcement practice and the growing use of monitoring tools, rather than a specific rule in the legislation.

None of this is meant to scare schools. It is just one of those slightly dull admin areas that can become surprisingly expensive if nobody is paying attention.

A quick internal sense-check now is likely to be far easier than sorting out a claim later.

Further information:

• The UK Intellectual Property Office’s guidance on using digital images and photographs online: Copyright notice: digital images, photographs and the internet

• GOV.UK guidance on the NLA Corporate Website Republishing Licence: NLA Media Access Limited corporate website republishing licence

• NLA Media Access information on what the licence covers: Corporate Website Republishing Licence

• CIPR guidance on copyright and sharing links to news coverage: Copyright advice and guidance