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In Estonia, everything related to copyright is regulated by the Copyright Act. Copyright is defined as a set of personal and proprietary rights owned by the author. It allows the author to decide who, how, and under which conditions can use their work.
For standards, copyright helps the organisations behind them ensure their accuracy, integrity, and fair use.
Standards and copyright
Standards may not be immediately associated with creativity, but they indeed involve creative elements that are protected by copyright. Developing comprehensive and effective standards is no small task — it is a team effort involving experts, organisations, and stakeholders.
They come together to share their knowledge, experience, and perspectives to develop guidelines that benefit everyone. Creating standards takes time, effort and not to mention resources.
Without the ability to control the distribution of standards, standardisation organisations risk standards being modified or misused. This could lead to inaccurate or outdated information being used in industries that rely on standards.
It can also mean there could be multiple versions of a standard floating around, with each modified or adapted according to individual interpretations.
How to cite or reference a standard?
When referencing a standard, there are a few important things to keep in mind. It is possible to reference a standard using dated or undated referencing. First, for a dated reference include the full designation of the standard (along with its date).
A dated reference means that the reference of a referred standard includes the year of adoption. If a dated reference is used, only the referenced edition shall be valid, not taking into account later new editions and amendments.
An undated reference is a reference without the year, in the case of which the referenced standard's newest edition and its possible amendments are valid.
| Dated referencing | Undated referencing |
| EVS-EN ISO 9001:2015 | EVS-EN ISO 9001 |
| Quality management systems - Requirements |
Quality management systems - Requirements |
In the references be sure to mention the title, standards body that published or issued the standard and include the publication date or any other relevant information required by your institution or publication.
Additionally, provide a direct link or reference to the specific source where the standard can be accessed. By including these details, you ensure that your references are accurate and complete, and allow others to locate and access the referenced standard easily.
Using standards in your thesis or other academic papers
It is significant to give credit to your source of information. Referencing standards demonstrate academic integrity by showing that you have relied on reliable sources to support your arguments or research.
When you are using standards in your academic papers, it's useful to keep a few things in mind about referencing.
Do make sure to give credit to the standards you are using by referencing
It shows that you respect the sources and will also allow others to check the standards themselves. Include the designation and the year of publication of the standard.
Do not just copy and paste whole sections of the standards into your paper
Instead, try to explain the information using your own words.
Consider recreating the diagram/table using appropriate software or tools
This will help to maintain the integrity of the content while avoiding any potential copyright infringement.
Measures to protect copyrighted content
Watermarks on standards are a common method used by standardisation organisations to protect their copyrighted content. The watermark is usually a visible text that is integrated into the pages of the standard.
It serves as a deterrent against unauthorised copying, distribution, or alteration of the standards.