Copyright

We are working hard to encourage a fair and responsible attitude to copyright.

Whilst this information relates particularly to funerals, it applies broadly to everything we design and/or print. 

Why is copyright important?

Respecting copyright in funeral service sheets is important because it ensures that any poems, readings, songs, or images included are used legally and with proper permission. Many pieces of content are protected by law, even if they are widely known or easily found online. By complying with copyright rules, you show respect for the original creators while also protecting yourself and others from potential legal issues. It also reflects professionalism and integrity during a sensitive occasion, helping to ensure that the focus remains on honouring the person who has passed away.

Choosing to ignore copyright law purely because enforcement is unlikley is hard to justify as a general principle - especially when the situation is about honouring someone's life with care and respect.

What material is copyrighted?

  • Hymns, songs and poetry where the author is living or has died within the last 70 years (unless explicitly placed in the public domain)
  • Bible Readings and Psalms (except for King James Version which is in the public domain)
  • Liturgy relating to the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and other faith organisations
  • Commercial logos and characters - IE football club logos, Disney characters, Scout logos etc.
  • Potentially any image that has been taken by a third party within the past 70 years

What is Public Domain?

Many older works fall outside the scope of copyright and are considered to be in the public domain. These may be freely reproduced without permission. 

Am I allowed to use copyrighted materials?

In general, yes, provided you are covered by existing permissions or have secured specific permissions from the copyright holder.

In the vast majority of cases there are existing permissions in place:

  • Many churches and crematoria hold a Copyright Licence (see below) which gives permission to print a wide selection of copyrighted hymns and songs - provided a copyright disclaimer is printed
  • Most bible publishers allow you to include a number of verses (up to 500) without applying for permission - provided a copyright disclaimer is printed
  • Limited extracts from Common Worship (CofE), Book of Common Prayer (CofE) and the Roman Catholic Missal, may be reproduced - provided a copyright disclaimer is printed
  • Images supplied by Careprint are covered by subscription licences. NB Careprint are unable to supply copyrighted images unless written permission from the copyright holder is provided by the user.

For more specific materials, including commercial logos and characters, written permission will be required from the copyright holder, and this should be referenced in the service sheet.

Can Careprint help me with copyright?

Yes of course. When using our fully inclusive artwork service we include:

  • Standard acknowledgements where required by law
  • Highlight copyright concerns
  • Request additional information where required
  • Ultimately endeavour to ensure every order of service complies with copyright law

Surely all this is covered by Fair Use?

“Fair use” is a concept from United States copyright law, and it doesn’t directly apply in the UK. In the UK, copyright is governed by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which uses a different framework called “fair dealing.”

Fair dealing is much more limited than fair use. It only allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in specific situations, such as:

  • research or private study
  • criticism or review
  • news reporting
  • parody or quotation (with clear conditions)

A funeral service sheet generally doesn’t fall into these categories. Even though it’s a private, non-commercial, and respectful context, that alone doesn’t make it automatically permissible under fair dealing.

What this means in practice:

  • You usually need permission or a licence to include full poems, song lyrics, or readings.
  • Short quotations might be allowed if they meet strict fair dealing rules (e.g., properly attributed and genuinely justified), but this can be a grey area.
  • Many churches and funeral directors rely on licences (such as music or hymn licences) to stay compliant.

Why don't other printers raise these copyright issues?

Some other printers take a more relaxed approach, but using copyrighted material without permission still raises clear ethical issues:

  • Respect for creators. Poems, hymns, and readings are someone’s work. Using them without permission means the creator (or their estate) isn’t acknowledged or compensated in the way the law intends.
  • Integrity and consistency. Choosing to ignore a law purely because enforcement is unlikely is hard to justify as a general principle—especially when the situation is about honoring someone’s life with care and respect.
  • Setting expectations. Normalising “it’s fine because no one checks” can undermine creative rights more broadly, even if the individual case feels harmless.

Who is responsible for copyright compliance?

The responsibility for copyright compliance in a funeral order of service is governed primarily by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Legal responsibility generally rests with the person or organisation that arranges the printing of the service sheet. Here is how that responsibility is typically assigned in the UK:

1. The Funeral Director (Most Common)

In the UK, the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) clarifies that whoever is responsible for arranging the funeral service is also responsible for its copyright compliance. Most professional funeral firms carry a CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) Funeral Licence of a similar collective license.

  • If the funeral director designs and prints the order of service, they are legally liable to ensure they have the rights to the hymns, lyrics and images included.

2. The Church or Venue

Many UK churches hold a Church Copyright Licence which permits the reproduction of thousands of hymns and worship songs in service sheets for weddings and funerals held on their premises.

  • The Nuance: Even if a family designs the sheets, the church is often technically responsible for ensuring the copyright permissions are in place for any service held under their roof.
  • Crematoriums: Unlike churches, not all crematoriums have blanket printing licenses. If a service is held at a crematorium, the responsibility almost always reverts to the funeral director or the family.

3. The Family (if designing their own)

If you choose to design and print the order of service yourself at home or via our web2print service:

  • You are responsible for the content. While the UK has "Fair Dealing" exceptions for things like private study or research there is no specific "funeral exception" in UK law that allows you to reprint copyrighted material for a public gathering without permission.

4. Professional Printers

Under UK law, a commercial printer can be held liable for "secondary infringement" if they print material they know (or have reason to believe) is a copyright breach. We reserve the right to ask for confirmation that you have the permission to use specifc texts or images before we agree to the job. Please note our terms and conditions section 6.

What Licences exist to cover hymns and songs?

Copyright licences are available to grant permission to use a wide range of copyright worship hymns/songs in order of service sheets without the need to obtain individual permissions from authors/copyright holders. NB: They do not cover any other readings, poems, liturgy, or images.

There are two main providers of copyright licences for hymns and songs, which many places are already signed up to: 

Both offer an annual licence and a single event licence

Licences are available to:

  • churches for use anywhere their congregation and minister worship
  • crematoria, gardens of remembrance for use only in their premises
  • funeral directors for use at any funeral they organise anywhere

NB: Not all hymns are covered by both licences

Careprint has no affiliation to CCLI or OneLicense and receives no commission or reward for promoting their services.

How does a Licence look after hymn and song writers?

When a worship hymn or song that is copyright is used in a service sheet, acknowledgements to the author and copyright holder must be printed under the relevent text. For clarity it may be useful to also include the licence number:

Arthur Peterson (1922 - 1997) © The Peterson Estate CCLI/OneLicense No: 000000

The licence holder reports useage of the hymn to CCLI/OneLicense who then pay royalties to the author/copyright holder for each use. This is a bread and butter income stream to many writers and works.

Am I covered by Obitus or Wesley?

Obitus and Wesley are licensed for live performance of musical tracks and display of lyrics on an overhead projector only. They are not able to grant permission for the reproduction of copyrighted words in an Order of Service.

What happens when no licence or other existing permission is available?

If no licence or existing permission is available you can

  • obtain written permission from the individual copyright holders
  • consider a single event licence to cover any copyright worship hymns/songs
  • not print the words (headings are okay) and use other published resources such as a hymnal
  • choose an alternative text that is not copyright (public domain)

    Secular Readings and Poetry

    Many popular readings and poems are in the public domain. Quite often authors who are still alive, or died within the last 70 years, also want their work to be shared freely. Some don’t and are quite strict about their copyright and having permission to print.

    Popular Music Lyrics

    Most modern pop songs are copyright and permission should be sought from the copyright holder before reproducing the words.

    Images

    When sourcing images you should be mindful of their copyright status. For example, if it is a character from a film or television programme there is a very strong chance it is copyrighted and permission will need to be obtained before use.

    Internet

    Accessing copyright texts online is all too easy. Just because it is online does not mean you are allowed to print it without permission. Many website hosts have permission to display the texts, some do not!