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Free use of DW content

When is a license required, and when may content be used without permission? An overview of all regulations governing the legally compliant use of DW content.

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What is permitted without prior approval? 

Content such as radio, television and social media contributions is generally protected by copyright. However, there are exceptions where use without a license is permitted, provided the content is not altered and the source is credited. 

 Linking & embedding 

  • Am I placing a link or embedding the content directly from the official website or an official channel? 
  • Am I leaving the content unaltered (e.g. not shortening it or combining it with my own content)? 
  • Am I using the official embed code or a designated embedding function? 

All answers "yes"? → Linking or embedding is permitted.

Private use 

  • Am I using the content exclusively for private purposes? 
  • Am I not publishing it (e.g., on websites or social networks)? 
  • Am I not using the content for commercial purposes? 

All answers "yes"? → Private use is permitted. 

Quoting 

  • Am I quoting only as much as is necessary to make my point?
  • Does my own contribution meaningfully engage with the quoted content? 
  • Does the excerpt serve the purpose of explanation, criticism or contextualization? 
  • Am I not using the content solely for entertainment or illustration? 

All answers "yes"? → Quoting is permitted.

Education & research 

  • Does the use serve a specific learning, teaching or research purpose? 
  • Is access restricted to students or researchers? 
  • Am I using only as much content as necessary?
  • Am I not using the content for commercial purposes (e.g. for textbooks sold to the public)? 

All answers "yes"? → Educational and research use is permitted. 

Text & data mining 

  • Does the analysis serve academic or research purposes? 
  • Am I not using the data for commercial purposes? 
  • Are only the data being copied that are necessary for the analysis? 
  • Is the content not being published or redistributed? 
  • Does the content remain technically unaltered? 

All answers “yes”? → Text and data mining is permitted. 

Submit a request 

Need a license or unsure whether your use is permitted? Submit your request via

→ General request form

→ Schoolbook request form

We receive a large number of requests on a daily basis. As a result, processing times may be longer in individual cases. Please allow sufficient lead time when planning your project. We thank you for your understanding.