Images from textbooks often make a presentation clearer, and a good chart sometimes explains more than three paragraphs. Still, not every figure in a textbook can simply be reused. The decisive rule is the quotation right under section 51 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG). This guide shows when a figure may be quoted, how to label it properly and which limits apply to slides and handouts.
Short answer: Under section 51 UrhG you may quote images from specialist books if the purpose justifies it, for example to explain a content. The law expressly extends the quotation right to images, even where they are protected themselves. Whether a spoken presentation counts as an independent scholarly work cannot be settled in general terms. A clean source reference is required in any case (Last updated: November 2026).
The most important points at a glance
- Under section 51 UrhG, images may be quoted if the use is justified by the purpose of the quotation.
- The quotation right expressly covers images, even when the image itself is protected.
- The extent must fit the purpose: an excerpt is usually enough, a whole book page rarely is.
- A source reference with author, title, edition, year and page belongs directly at the image.
- Be careful with slides you publish online, because that can go beyond the quotation.
What does the quotation right under section 51 UrhG allow?
Section 51 UrhG permits reproduction, distribution and public reproduction of a published work for the purpose of quotation, to the extent that the use is justified by that purpose. The law names three groups of cases. First, individual works may be included in an independent scholarly work after publication, to explain its content. Second, passages of a published work may be cited in an independent linguistic work. Third, the same applies to pieces of music within an independent musical work.
One sentence matters especially for images. Under section 51 sentence 2 UrhG, the quotation right also covers the use of an image or other reproduction of the quoted work, even where that image is itself protected by copyright or related rights. A chart from a textbook may therefore in principle be included, provided the other requirements are met.
Does a presentation count as a scholarly work?
The provision speaks of an independent scholarly work. A term paper, a bachelor thesis or an article fits the wording more naturally than a spoken talk with slides. Whether a presentation falls under the term cannot be answered in general and depends on the individual case. It therefore makes sense to use images only as sparingly as the purpose requires and always to attribute them cleanly.
The typical cases at a glance
The table below classifies common uses. It does not replace an assessment of your own situation, but it shows where the limits lie.
| Use | Assessment | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Chart from a textbook that you explain in the text | Quotation under section 51 UrhG possible if you explain the content | Name the source with page number in the caption |
| Full book page with an image on one slide | The extent is critical, because explanation is not the focus | Use only the relevant excerpt |
| Diagram you redraw after a template | Own adaptation, the template stays protected | Mark it as based on the template and name the template |
| Picture from the internet without a clear licence note | Lawful publication and the licence are decisive | Check the licence or choose a free alternative |
How do you cite an image correctly?
An image needs the same care as a quoted text. Name the author, title, edition, year of publication and page so that others can find the source. A caption with a number, a short description and the source is common in many fields. Which citation style your university or department requires is set out in its guidelines for written work.
- Check whether you really need the image or whether your own diagram would do.
- Use only the relevant excerpt rather than the whole page.
- Add a caption with author, title, edition, year and page.
- List the book from which the image comes in your bibliography.
- Mark your own redrawings as based on the original.
What applies to slides and handouts?
Slides follow the same principle as written work, only in a shorter form. If you upload slides with third-party images to a learning platform after your talk, you make them publicly accessible, and that may go beyond the quotation. Ask your lecturers whether slides with third-party images may be shared. More on this is in Sharing lecture notes and slides: what copyright allows in study.
Frequently asked questions
May I shrink an image and then show it without a source?
Shrinking an image does not change the duty to name the source. The source belongs to the image, regardless of its size. Heavier edits can alter the work, so clarify beforehand whether the use is still covered by the quotation if you change it significantly.
Is it enough to list the image only in the bibliography?
An entry in the bibliography does not replace a reference directly at the image. The source should be recognisable at the image itself, so that readers see at once where it comes from.
Does this also apply to charts based on statistics?
Numbers and facts as such are often not protected by copyright, whereas the graphic design of a chart can be. Whether you take over a graphic or use the data in your own presentation therefore makes a difference. For official statistics, it is worth checking the terms of use of the publishing body.
What if the image only comes from the internet?
Then check whether the image was published lawfully and which licence applies. For free images, the licence notes help. The basics are explained in Creative Commons: using images legally and attributing them correctly.
What to do now
- First decide whether the image is needed for explanation or whether your own diagram is enough.
- Take over only the excerpt you actually show.
- Give every image a caption with author, title, edition, year and page.
- Add the source book to your bibliography and check your university’s guidelines.
- Ask before uploading slides whether third-party images are allowed there.
When your own diagram is the better choice
Many lecturers value self-made diagrams because they show that you have understood the content. A figure you take from a textbook and change only slightly remains essentially a third-party image. If you state the point yourself and name the source as the basis, you avoid debates about how much you took over. At the same time your work looks more independent, and that is exactly what assessors in many subjects look for.
A rule of thumb: the more central a figure is to your argument, the more precisely you should source and explain it. A decorative graphic without a visible link to the text adds little and raises the risk that its use is read as mere decoration. Fewer images that you really explain are better than a collection of pictures without a function.
Related reading
- Digital rights in everyday life: the overview for students
- Quoting made easy: the most important rules at a glance (in German)
- Sharing lecture notes and slides: what copyright allows in study
- Creative Commons: using images legally and attributing them correctly
- Private copies: can you save streaming recordings?
Sources: Section 51 UrhG, quotations (gesetze-im-internet.de, German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
