Can a student include a copyrighted image in his/her thesis to illustrate the course of a chemical reaction?

Yes. It is permitted to include excerpts from published works, including individual artistic works (photographs, illustrations, diagrams, paintings, architectural works, industrial design, etc.), if this is necessary for purposes such as illustration, comparison, or reference. The author and the source must always be cited.

For the quotation exception to apply, two conditions must be met simultaneously:

• Existence of a main work: the quotation must be incorporated into an already existing main work that is substantially larger in scope than the quoted excerpt. The main work does not need to be independently protected by copyright.

• Existence of quotation purpose: there must be an internal connection between the main work and the quoted material. The quoted work must serve an auxiliary function, which means that its role is supportive, while the primary focus must remain on the main work.

Based on these principles, a student may include a copyrighted image in a thesis. The thesis represents a main work, which is significantly larger in scope than an image depicting a chemical reaction. The image is used to illustrate and explain the reaction, which means that the quotation exception applies, provided that the student properly cites the author and the source.