Open Government Licence

Details for NHS England knowledge and library (KLS) staff on usage of copyright materials, and tailoring their use to expected scenarios.

The Open Government Licence (OGL) is a licensing framework used to allow people to use images and materials created by the public sector without having to pay to do so, and without the creator of the materials losing ownership.

The Open Government Licence covers a range of content (referred to in the licence as the Information) on public sector websites, bearing the OGL logo and phrasing such as “All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated.” 

The OGL gives you permission to do the following, on the condition that you properly acknowledge and attribute the information and where possible provide a link to the Licence:

• Copy, publish, distribute, and transmit the Information;
• Adapt the Information;
• Exploit the Information commercially and non-commercially, for example, by combining it with other Information, or by including it in your own product or application.

See also this useful GOV.UK content design guide on better ways to use images and other content in your pages and presentations.

Acknowledging an image

Below you can find an example of a way you can acknowledge an image's source. The precise format may vary, depending on your organisation’s preferred referencing scheme.

Clipartmag (no date) Avid Presentation by Kalany Abel Oscar Amp Xatziry on Emaze. Available at: http://clipartmag.com/any-questions-animation#any-questions-animation-10.gif  (Accessed: 10/08/2022).

Further information

This guide covers the basics in using copyrighted materials in your training. For more information, or for clarification on anything the guide doesn’t cover, please contact the NHS Copyright First Responders.