The creator of a literary or artistic work has the exclusive right to decide on the use of their work, or they have copyright to their work. Copyright can also arise in theses written jointly, as group work between several students. Through copyright, the author of a literary or artistic work gets protection against the misuse of their work. Copyright is also of economic importance, because, through it, the author can also exploit their work commercially and can prevent other people from using the work without permission.
Copyright covers, among others, scientific texts, computer software, artistic work, and design work. To get copyright, it is required that the work be independent and original. A mere idea or theme cannot be copyrighted. Copyright always emerges when the threshold of originality is crossed, and it does not require, in addition to creation, any registration or other action. The prerequisite for copyright is the original manifestation of the work. Information, ideas, theories and scientific results are not protected by copyright as such, but the form into which they have been brought. Technological inventions are not covered by actual copyright, but they can be protected through patenting.
The holder of copyright has moral an economic rights to their work. The thesis writer has always, despite possible transfer of rights, a moral right to their work, which means the right to be mentioned as the author of the thesis and to oversee how an outside person uses their rights. The economic rights include the manufacture of items, the publication of the work, and resale compensation.
It is always recommendable to discuss access rights issues with the supervisor before starting the thesis project. It is particularly important if the thesis is implemented as a commission. The copyright to a commissioned thesis must defined in the agreement between the commissioner, author, and the Faculty. When agreeing on the transfer of copyright, the target of transfer must be specified carefully. If it is a joint project involving various theses, transfer must be made separately for each thesis. The form aimed at making the thesis agreement is in Appendix 1. Furthermore, it is advisable to agree in writing on copyright and other specific conditions (such as updates of the output).
Theses are uploaded on the Theseus virtual library. When uploading their thesis in Theseus, the student must accept the conditions of use of Theseus. When doing that, the student assures all the copyright matters have been agreed on and gives their institution of higher education a gratuitous permission to publish the thesis online. In online publishing, the Creative Commons license system is used, allowing the regulation of the conditions of use of online publications. Creative Commons licensing can be used if the copyright of the thesis lies exclusively with the author.
The digital copying and reuse of both printed and online material is restricted by regulations related to the law of copyright. Drawings and photographs may be used in online documents, if their author has given their permission for that or if you have copyright to the material used (e.g., your own photos and drawings). SeAMK Intra provides information about the current conditions of the Extended Collective License of Kopiosto, related to the scanning and use of online material.
Yet, the Extended Collective License of Kopiosto does not authorize the copying of such material the copying and use of which has been prohibited by the holder of the copyright. Material can be freely retrieved from sources which clearly state that it is free of copyright. However, the source must always be mentioned. If the material includes the mention that it was published with the Creative Commons license, it can usually be used. The bibliography of the present Instructions includes some exhaustive online sources e.g. about the copyrights of figures, pictures, and collages (IPR University Center, n.d.; Art University Copyright Advice, 2012; Toikkanen 2012).
More detailed instructions for uploads on Theseus and the Instruction Digitaalisen kopioinnin rajoitukset (Restrictions of Digital Copying) can be found on SeAMK Intra.