Copyright literally means the “right to copy” and generally refers to the exclusive right to produce or reproduce a work or any substantial part of one. This has to be taken very seriously and it is essential we all understand that, to use something protected by copyright, we must either:
agree a license with the owner to use it
buy or acquire the copyright
confirm that your intended use falls within the exceptions to copyright
A person can give permission if they are:
the person who made it (the creator), or their family or heirs
the creator’s employer, if it was created it as part of the creator’s job
a person who bought, acquired or licensed the rights
You may be able to find out who owns copyright from Writers, Artists and their copyright holders (WATCH).
If you can’t find out who the copyright owner is check if you need a license to use the work.
(this content was taken from the UK gov website)