Answered By: Rachel Klesch
Last Updated: May 26, 2026     Views: 2

Copyright is usually owned by the creator. This could be owned by the author, the publisher, an organisation, or another rights holder, depending on how the material was created and any agreements signed. In academic publishing, authors often transfer copyright to a publisher, especially for journal articles and books.

To identify the copyright owner:

  • Check the item itself
    Look at the title page (copyright page), footer, acknowledgements, or image captions for an ownership statement (e.g. © Author Name, 2022).

  • For journal articles and books
    Check the publisher information or copyright notice. This is often on the first or last page.

  • For websites
    Look for links such as Copyright, Terms of Use, or About.

  • Look for licences
    Some material uses a Creative Commons licence, which explains how you can reuse it.

If you’re still unsure

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