An important point to consider when creating your slides is the intellectual ownership structure or copyright. This protects intellectual and artistic output, such as pictures, texts or photographs. Copyright does not have to be registered. It originates at the time of creation.

If you use existing material, e.g. from the Internet, you must note the following:

• Copyright: Ensure that you specify rights to product names, for example, with a copyright (©) or trademark (™), or at least refer to the existing rights at one point in the presentation, such as in an Appendix.
• Quotations: It is permissible to copy (small) parts direct from copyright protected works under certain conditions. According to German law, quotations are only permissible if the source is clearly specified. Therefore, ensure that you clearly identify any quotations on your slides and that you specify the source in a footnote or in an Appendix.
• Image rights: Pictures and graphics are subject to the same legal conditions as texts. This is often forgotten when quickly adding a couple of pretty photos to your slides to make sure the presentation is also visually appealing. If you download photographs from the Internet to do this, be aware of the rights associated with them.
• Also label your own slides and e-learning content. For example, you can explicitly allow free use of content provided by you online or you can indicate that the use of said content is associated with certain conditions, such as use for commercial gain only after prior agreement with you.