Copyright: YouTube
This article is the third in a series from the Knowledge Services team on issues relating to copyright, to help promote good copyright practices within NHS Lanarkshire. This article will cover YouTube videos and how to make sure you are using them in a copyright compliant way.
Amanda Minns, head of evidence, said: “Seeking copyright permissions for YouTube videos can be complicated. This article gives some information on how to find out if videos are available through Creative Commons licenses and where you might find copyright free alternatives.”
YouTube
Not all media uploaded to YouTube has been done so legally. There are many videos available to view which violate copyright laws, for example illegal copies of films/television shows or videos which sample music without the creators’ permission.
Just because a video is available freely online does not necessarily mean it can be reused legally. The account that uploaded the video may not be its creator, therefore it is your responsibility to try and source the official copyright holder and seek their permission before reusing any YouTube content.
Seeking copyright permissions for YouTube videos can sometimes be complicated and can involve not only contacting the supplier, but also the director, producer or actors/singers involved. If you need help checking the copyright for any videos found on YouTube, please email the library at libraries@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
Creative Commons
If you are having difficulty in tracking down the copyright holder for a video you are looking to reuse, you can use YouTube’s search filters to check if it is available under a Creative Commons (CC) license.
Once you have typed your search terms in to YouTube’s search box and found a video you would like to use, you can filter the results to show only Creative Commons videos:
If the video is still in the list of results, it is available to use under a Creative Commons license. The licence details should be available in the description below the video.
You can also use this function to find CC licenced alternatives to videos you have been unable to secure permissions for.
Read the previous article on the different permissions of CC licenses at https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/pulse-special-focus-on-copyright-first-instalment/
Non-commercial sources
There are a few non-commercial sources where you can find freely available audio and video clips:
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
- Videezy: https://www.videezy.com/
- Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/
- Freesound: https://freesound.org/
When using any video or audio from these sites, always make sure that you are following complying with the copyright permissions.
If you have any questions regarding copyright, please email libraries@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk or log a request on ServiceNow. Visit the copyright page on FirstPort at http://firstport2/staff-support/knowledge-services/copyright/default.aspx
