Copyright and Plagiarism

The Right to quite applies first and foremost to texts from which it is possible to quote extracts. In the case of illustrasions and figures the situation is often different, since these are normally not possible to quote as extracts to the same extent. While it might be tempting to scan an illustration or figure and paste it in your assignment, you are actually not allowed to do this without permission from the author (copyright holder), unless the illustration is marked with a Creative Commons-licence, which allows free use. In any case, you must always reference your source (author). 

Tables may be in a grey sone, since it varies to what extent the content of the table resembles a text or a figure, and whether the Right to quote applies. What the Copyright act describes as "databases" (§24) are protected by copyright if they are the result of a "creative process" (skapende åndsinnsats) and a "substantial investment" (en vesentlig investering). If the latter is the case, you need to obtain permission from its originator, unless the database is licened for free use. 

Illustrations, figures and tables may have an enlightening effect in texts you read, but consider whether they really serve a similar purpose in your own text, or if your text becomes better if you use your own words.

As in the case with figures and illustrations, images (photographs, works of art) must be "cited" in full and you must obtain permession from the person who created them. 

Furthermore, if you plan to use an image, a connection must exist between the image and (your) text. You cannot use a photo or an artwork as merely decoration or frontpage illustration, since image use in this case will not be in connection to the text (cf. § 29 as quoted above).

HVL subscribes to Britannica ImageQuest, which contains images that you can freely use in your text. Remember to always cite your source and credit the author (copyright holder). You will find the information you need in the Britannica database. 

You can read more about using images here. 

The right to quotes also applies to poems, but if you intend to use an entire poem or a larger part of a text, you need to obtain permission from the author or the publisher. 

If the author passed away more than 70 years ago, you may freely quote from the work. 

You normally do not need to obtain permission to quote a single line or two from a poem. 

Texts generated by artificial intelligence (for instance ChatGPT) are not protected by copyright, since they are generated from a large and unknown amount of texts that machines have been fed with. The content of such texts may be more or less precise, but they cannot be considered intellectual or creative work (åndsverk), since they are not based on such an activity. 

Furthermore, the idea of authorship presupposes that you as an author is responsible for the content of your text, which is not the case for texts produced by artificial intelligence. You cannot therefore pass off such texts as your own. 

Some BA and most MA theses are published in HVL's institutional archive, and if your text is published here, you own the copyright to it. Your work should be referenced in accordance with common rules. Likewise, you must cite BA and MA theses written by other students properly if you use them. 

Presenting other people's work as your own, whether intentionally or not, is plagiarism. You must always reference your source properly every time you use ideas or formulations stemming from others. 

Examples of plagiarism:

• using internet or printed content without referencing
• copying other people's work while adding minor adjustments and leaving out quotation marks so that the text appears to be your own, even while referencing
• copying, even with adjustments, works submitted by other students
• submitting an assigment that is conspicuously similar to those of your fellow students

If you texts that you have previously submitted and received credit for in terms of grades or approval, you must always acknowledged this, otherwise it will be considered unacceptable reuse, or "self-plagiarism". This rule applies to both exams and obligatory tasks. On the Seach and write website you will find suggestions as to how you may refer to your earlier student works.