For researchers
As a researcher at Utrecht University, you are dealing with copyright, for instance when you publish your research results or if you want to use research data from fellow researchers.
Who is copyright holder of an academic publication?
Article 7 of the Copyright Act, in which the employer's copyright has been laid down, also applies to academic employees. This means that Utrecht University is considered as the title holder.
In their daily practice, Utrecht University authors can make their own choices as if they were copyright holders, for instance in contracts with publishers or in choosing to share the publication under a specific licence, such as a Creative Commons Licence.
Joint copyright ownership
If you write an academic publication with other authors, joint copyright questions may arise. Decisions about what can be done with the article must be taken with the consent of all co-authors.
Publising your own work
Are you planning to publish your own work? You have three options:
- Publishing with full retention of copyright ownership
Options: publishing on one's own, in open access and with a Creative Commons licence - Publishing with partial retention of copyright ownership
In this way you do not transfer your copyright, but you enter into agreements with the publisher what may be done with your publication - Publishing with full transfer of copyright ownership
The publisher determines what you are allowed to do with your publication.
Whichever of the three options you choose, some of the most important rights you should retain are:
- The right to reuse the article in teaching and research within Utrecht University
- The right to rewrite and amend the article
- The right to distribute the article among your colleagues
- The right to include the article in the UU Repository.
Before you enter into an agreement with a publisher, you can seek advice from the university library.
Read more about publishing your own work
PhD dissertations
PhD dissertations should be placed in the UU Repository after the PhD defence. Please take notice when some parts of your dissertation are or will be published in the form of articles. In both cases it may be needed to establish an embargo, depending on the agreements with the publisher of the article(s).