Does MOD have an Information Fair Trader Scheme (IFTS) accreditation?
Yes. You can view our Director's commitment to the standards of this scheme by following the link opposite.
Why does MOD charge fees for re-use of Crown copyright material?
Crown copyright material can be of significant commercial value and it is therefore in the interests of the taxpayer that a licence fee or royalty is charged for its reproduction. The charging of fees enables MOD to recover some of the costs involved in producing this material.
Our IFTS accreditation commits MOD to set fair charges for use of its Crown copyright material, and these charges are subject to appeal to the Director of the Office of Public Sector Information. In general, charges are set in line with either standard pan-Government rates or prevailing commercial market rates.
I represent a Charity/Not for profit organisation - do I still have to pay the reproduction fees?
Yes. In accordance with the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005, requests from charities must be treated in the same way as requests from any other organisation. This means that our standard reproduction fees will apply.
Furthermore, in line with our commitment to fair and equitable charging, we are unable to offer preferential terms to charities whose purpose is to support causes associated with the Armed Forces. All requests for re-use of information received by the MOD will be treated equally.
In addition, please note that the MOD will not waive its charges in lieu of a payment to charity.
Can DIPR help me to locate and obtain MOD material?
No. The Directorate is solely responsible for issuing licences allowing you to make copies of Crown copyright material which you have obtained from other sections of the MOD or third party sources. We do not provide a tracing service for material, nor can we supply copies of the material for which you request a licence. If you are looking for a photograph you should visit the Defence Image Database by following the Related Link opposite alternatively, the MOD's Public Enquiry Helpline (0870 607 4455) may be able to aid you in finding the section of MOD that might hold the material you are looking for. Once you know you are able to source the material then contact the Directorate to discuss the licence.
Is a Crown copyright licence still required for material that has been declassified?
Yes. The law of Official Secrets and the law of Copyright are two entirely separate systems. Just because material has been declassified does not mean that it is free to copy. For declassified material that is still protected by copyright, you must obtain a reproduction licence from DIPR.
Is a Crown copyright licence still required for material made available under the Freedom of Information Act?
Yes. Information made available under the Freedom of Information Act is still covered by Copyright. In many cases this information will be "Core" material, in which case a 'Click-Use' licence can be obtained from OPSI (see Licensing Information page). However, if the information is not Core material, you must obtain a licence from DIPR before reproducing the material further.
Please also note that information released under FOI may belong to a third party. If that is the case you will need to contact the third party concerned to seek permission to re-use the material.
Can MOD authorise use of other people's copyright material where this is incorporated in an MOD document?
No. It is often the case that MOD material will incorporate, with permission, copyright material belonging to third parties, such as a photograph taken by a non-MOD photographer. Obtaining permission to reproduce MOD material does not relieve you of the burden of obtaining separate permission to reproduce this third party material.
I am a member of the Armed Forces / an MOD civil servant - do I still need a licence?
If you are in the Armed Services or an MOD civil servant you may use and reproduce MOD Crown copyright in the course of your official duties for MOD's internal purposes only. If you wish to use this material for any other purpose (for example, if you are writing a book or setting up a club) you will need a licence from DIPR. This applies even if you are reproducing material of which you yourself were the author.
For publication of MOD papers of a scientific, technical or medical nature, for instance in academic journals, MOD's internal publication clearance process must be followed.
Is there any MOD information that cannot be licensed through DIPR?
Yes. The licensing of information produced by the following MOD agencies and trading funds is dealt with in-house by those organisations, please see each organisation's website for further details:
UK Hydrographic Office - covering Admiralty Charts, Admiralty publications, tide tables and hydrographic data.
Met Office - covering Met Office weather forecasts and meteorological data.
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) - covering scientific and technology solutions underpinning the UK's defence and security capability.
Defence Geographic Centre, including Military Survey - covering maps and cartographic data. Contact: DGC, Copyright and Release Branch, MacLeod Building, Elmwood Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7AH, Tel: 0208 818 3104 Fax: 0208 818 3130.
How can I make a complaint about the licensing process?
A procedure has been put in place to deal with complaints about the MOD’s licensing processes. For further information on this procedure, please follow the link opposite.
Can I include links to MOD internet sites from my own website?
Yes. The MOD encourages users to establish hypertext links to our sites. You do not require our formal permission to do so.