What kind of things that you might want to use in a thesis could be copyrighted and what does that mean?

You can assume that most images are copyrighted, unless it it part of public domain, exclusively generated by AI, CC-licenced or licenced in a similar manner. All images created by a physical person with free and creative choice have copyright to the image. That is pretty much anything you find online. It is the creators (a.k.a. the copyright holder) that has the sole right to decide how it’s used. In a nutshell, if you see a cool picture online, remember that someone put effort into creating it, and they have the right to say how it’s used.

If you use AI, know that AI do not have copyright. However, it’s possible that these images are protected through user agreements. As a student, when you first start using the service, you might accept terms that say using AI-generated images outside the platform requires payment to use them legally.

Moral right is the part of copyright that protects the creator against distortion of their work. When using a work, the creator must always be credited by name, even if they no longer hold the economic rights. Additionally, there must be respect for the work; making offensive alterations or using the work in an offensive context is not allowed.

When you cite scientific articles, books and such you may do so because there are exeptions to copyright law. That is partly why it is so important to credit the author, who always holds the moral right to their work. Re-publishing a picture isn't really the same thing right? That is also why you need to do this excellent course, so you confidently can use different kinds of creative works in your own work!