Licensing the Re-Use of Crown Copyright FAQs
Questions
- Who should I contact to obtain material in a particular format?
- What is the Click-Use Licence?
- What sort of Click-Use Licences are available?
- Will I be able to take out a Click-Use Licence if I do not have online access?
- What is an exclusive licence?
- Do I need a licence to use a Crown copyright publication as a prop in a TV programme or film?
Questions and Answers
Q. Who should I contact to obtain material in a particular format?
A. You should contact the originating government department.
If you are unsure which department has originated the data, contact OPSI and we will investigate. You can also check on the Information Asset Register (IAR) records which can be found on inforoute. The IAR contains lists of available material and the formats in which it is held.
Q. What is the Click-Use Licence?
A. It is an online licence that allows the re-use of a wide range of public sector information with the minimum of administration.
Q. What sort of Click-Use Licences are available?
- the PSI Licence - formerly known as the Core Licence. It covers core Crown copyright information and Public Sector Information;
- the Valued Added Licence - this covers value added Crown copyright information;
- the Parliamentary Licence - this covers Parliamentary copyright information.
Q. Will I be able to take out a Click-Use Licence if I do not have online access?
A. Yes. Contact us by telephone or fax and we will send you further details.
Q. What is an exclusive licence?
A. This is a licence issued by a copyright owner that grants particular rights to just one person or organisation for an agreed period of time. It prevents the same rights from being granted to anyone else. It also means that the copyright owner is unable to exercise the same rights during the same period.
It is not government policy to grant exclusive licences other than in exceptional circumstances.
Q. Do I need a licence to use a Crown copyright publication as a prop in a TV programme or film?
A. No, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 states that "copyright in a work is not infringed by its incidental inclusion in an artistic work, sound recording, film, broadcast or cable programme".
You will need to acknowledge that Crown copyright material has been used.
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