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A CLA licence, issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, allows organisations to legally copy and reuse content from a very wide range of published sources, including books, journals, magazines, and websites. This guide explains what the Copyright Licensing Agency is and does, what you need to do, other copyright licences, and a bit about copyright itself, with links to other sources of information at the end.
The CLA is a regulated not-for-profit organisation, officially recognised by the UK government as a collective management organisation for published materials. That means it operates under specific legal frameworks to manage copyright on behalf of creators, and distributes its revenue back to authors, publishers, and visual artists through member organisations like ALCS, PLS, DACS, and PICSEL.
The CLA copyright licence covers:
The licence provides:
The Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA), is a UK publisher-owned organisation that licenses the reuse of newspaper and magazine content. Charities and other organisations are subject to copyright law and may need a licence to legally copy, share, or redistribute press content. We have a separate guide for that.
CLA and NLA licences are complementary but separate—CLA covers books, journals, and magazines; NLA focuses on newspapers and news websites C
Copyright is a legal right that protects original works like:
The creator automatically owns the copyright when they make something. You can’t use it without permission — unless certain exceptions apply.
You can:
What you must not do - don't:
Copyright is a legal right that protects original works like:
The creator automatically owns the copyright when they make something. You can’t use it without permission — unless certain exceptions apply.
| Situation | What It Means | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain Permission | Asking the copyright owner for approval to use their work | Contact them directly, explain usage, and get written permission (email is fine) |
| Creative Commons Licence | Pre-approved licences that allow use under specific terms | Check licence type: credit the creator, don't alter if prohibited, and use only non-commercially if required |
| Fair Dealing | UK law allows limited use without permission in special cases like teaching, review, or news reporting | Use only what's necessary, credit the author, and don’t harm the original work’s value |
| Public Domain (CC0) | Creator has waived all rights — anyone can use freely | No permission needed, credit is optional |
| Non-commercial Use | Use that doesn’t generate income (e.g. awareness campaign) | Even non-commercial use may need permission unless it's under fair dealing or a CC licence |
| Reporting Current Events | Quoting or showing copyright material to report news or timely topics | Allowed under fair dealing — but photos are excluded |
| Parody or Satire | Using material to make humorous or critical commentary | Usually allowed under fair dealing, but be cautious with tone and extent |
| Educational Use | Using material in teaching (e.g. lessons, training materials) | If you make copies of newspaper content for teaching purposes, you need an Educational Establishment Licence. |
In the UK, fair dealing allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission — but only in specific cases:
It must be fair — meaning that you:
For example, quoting a few lines from a book in a blog post about literacy is likely fair dealing. Copying the whole chapter probably would not be.
If you do copy content.
If in doubt, ask! Its' better to be safe than sorry.
This Article on CLA Copyright Licencing is not Professional Advice
This article on CLA copyright licencing is for general interest only and does not constitute professional legal or financial advice. I'm neither a lawyer, nor an accountant, so not able to provide this, and I cannot write guidance that covers every charity or eventuality. I have included links to relevant regulatory guidance and resources to help you. However, in making use of my work you accept that I have no responsibility whatsoever for 3rd party content and that you will check to ensure that whatever you create reflects correctly your charity’s needs and your obligations. In using this resource, you accept that I have no responsibility whatsoever from any harm, loss or other detriment that may arise from your use of my work. If you need professional advice, you must seek this from someone else. To do so, register, then login and use the Help Finder directory to find pro bono support. Everything is free.
Ethics note: The draft of this article was created using AI.
Thank You
My thanks to 3rd Sector PR and comms Facebook Group for their help in improving this guidance, particularly Carol Flint whose suggestion led to me creating this guide.
