Copyright at Georgian

Best Practices for Copyright Compliance

The library recommends the following Best Practices to support your curriculum development, teaching and learning while remaining copyright compliant:

1. Use library content to support student needs wherever possible
2. Use library eReserves to provide access to copyrighted course material(s)
3. Link to content instead of downloading wherever possible
4. Always ensure the source you use is credited
5. Use legal content that has been made available by the copyright owner
6. Ask us when unsure, we are always available to help!

These recommendations follow the priorities set out in Georgian's Copyright Policy and the Canadian Copyright Act.

Posting or Sharing Content with Students

A copy of a short excerpt from a copyright-protected work may be provided to each student enrolled in a class or course as a class handout (printed) or posted to a learning management system that requires a login/password.

These materials can be handed out, used in class, posted/shared only IF they are:

• intended for educational purposes
• limited to students enrolled in the course
• only for the duration of the course 
• restricted to Blackboard or Georgian community access only site

Note: It is a violation of copyright to share, post, or copy the content elsewhere for students without permission from the copyright holder.

What is a "Short Excerpt"?

A short excerpt in Copyright generally means one of the following, whichever is greater:

• Up to 10% of a work
• One chapter from a book
• One article from a journal
• An entire artistic work (i.e. a painting, photograph, drawing, map, chart, plan) from a work that is copyright protected
• One single newspaper article or page from a newspaper
• An entire poem or single musical score
• One entire entry from an encyclopedia 

You must cite your source clearly to remain copyright compliant when using short excerpts.

Short Excerpts for Educational Purposes - Examples:

• Copying an article or book chapter and distributing it to students in class
• Using Library eReserves to provide digital access for students via Blackboard
• Posting an article or book chapter for students to access via Blackboard
• Providing a short excerpt as part of a test or evaluation, both online & in-class

Short excerpts used for evaluation/testing - Examples:

• Reproduction: images, diagrams or text from or a work can be copied
• Translation:  passages of text from one work can be translated into another language
• Communication: you can make a copy or translation of a work available to your students for the purposes of the exams on Blackboard.
• Performance: you can show a film in the class or have a scene from a play re-enacted.

Using Videos Online and the Classroom

The term videos include movies, documentaries, feature films, cartoons and TV shows. Copyright restrictions on video use in the classroom, and online, and for recreational/social purposes differ depending on the origin/source of the video.

Videos from the Library collection - Check our Video Streaming Guide for more detail

• Most videos in the library collection are licensed for use in the classroom for educational purposes - use the Permitted uses link to check for restrictions or connect with us to verify
• Some videos may also be streamed in synchronous online courses
• You can provide a link in Blackboard for students to access titles available online individually
• Social/recreational viewing of videos usually require public performance rights - please contact the library for more info

YouTube, Vimeo, TEDTalks & other Free Video Sources online

• Verify that the video has been uploaded by the copyright owner (let us know if you're not sure!)
• Use the YouTube embed code in Blackboard or provide link out to students
• Show the video in class as you would normally
• Give credit! Provide a citation or attribution statement that identifies the original source

Note: Videos that are not posted by the copyright owner may violate copyright and should be avoided.

Netflix, Prime, iTunes, Crave, Hulu and other Subscription-Based streaming platforms

• Personal subscriptions to these types of platforms do not include public performance rights
• These videos cannot be used in the classroom or online/in Blackboard
• Check the Library's Video Streaming guide - we do have a large collection of feature films that are licensed for classroom use
• Contact the library for more information

For specific questions, please contact the Library and ask us!

Screencasts & Pre-recorded Lessons

Creating instructional videos like screencasts or pre-recorded lessons? Best practices include:

• Provide links to content (documents, other video, etc) instead of embedding/recording into your video
• Quote, paraphrase, summarize & cite/reference any copyrighted materials
• Include an attributions/references slide at the end
• Give credit to any website or software shown, tools used in video creation, etc
• Post in a secure location (not YouTube)
• Contact us if your video displays...
  • Publisher supplied materials (PPT, textbook content,etc)
  • Library resources, copyrighted web content, any other copyrighted materials

Lecture Recordings posted in Blackboard

The recording of lectures is governed by the Copyright Act and policy at Georgian:

• Section 30.03 of the Copyright Act
  This section of the Copyright Act covers the use of copyrighted materials in your lecture.
• Georgian's policy AD-023 - Virtual Lecture and other educational activity recordings involving students.
  This policy covers student privacy, file storage and retention and related concerns.

Does your lecture contain copyrighted materials?

Additional considerations are needed to ensure Copyright compliance if your lecture/recording includes copyrighted materials such as:

• Slides provided by a textbook publisher
• Sharing a page from the course textbook
• YouTube, CBC news clips or TED Talk videos
• Library videos, books or other resources
• Images or web content not covered by a CC license

As long as your live lecture uses material that is copyright compliant, that same content will be compliant in the recorded lecture you stream and post in Blackboard. This includes using materials under Fair Dealing and citing/referencing materials. However, there are specific conditions to this provision.  

Section 30.03 of the Copyright Act requires that

The captured lecture must be destroyed within 30 days of the final course evaluations being giving to students in the class. 

Note: It is the recording of the lecture, not the PowerPoint or materials used in the lecture that must be destroyed.

For specific questions, please contact the Library and ask us!