Notice Board

Will you be copying or distributing articles, chapters, or other copyrighted items for your course? Just a reminder that you need to determine if copyright permission is needed before you reproduce, make available, or perform a copyrighted work for a class or workshop.

Visit the U of L Copyright website to find out what copyright is, what it covers, and what's required to be copyright-compliant.  Some resources you may find useful:

• Copyright Permissions Flow Chart:  Outlines when copyright owner permission is needed and where to look for permission.
• Guidelines for Copying under Fair Dealing:  Summarizes what fair dealing is under the Copyright Act and kinds of copying that may not require permission.  See also the FAQ on fair dealing.
• Readings in Moodle:  A set of FAQs explaining options for distributing copyrighted materials in Moodle.  See also the page on reusing Moodle content from a prior semester.
• Readings on E-Reserve:  As an alternative to Moodle, describes how to put your course readings on E-Reserve.  Ask the Library to scan readings you need or send your selection of links or PDFs to the Library.  (Print Reserve remains an available option.)
• Articles in Library e-journals:  The Copyright Permissions Look-up tool helps you determine permitted uses such as whether you can download a PDF article into Moodle or share it with a colleague outside of the U of L.
• Chapters in Library e-books:  Find out how many users may simultaneously access an e-book (or an individual chapter).
• Harvard Business Review (HBR) articles:   An FAQ on options for using “top 500” online HBR articles as assigned readings in your courses. 
• Images in slide presentations:  An FAQ describing a Copyright Act provision permitting an instructor to reproduce a work in order to display it in class for educational purposes.
• Film and video screenings: An FAQ describing a Copyright Act provision permitting public performance of films and videos in class for educational purposes.
• Music recordings: An FAQ describing a Copyright Act provision permitting public performance of sound recordings in class for educational purposes.

The University Copyright Advisor office (copyright@uleth.ca or 403-332-4472) is here to assist you with your copyright concerns.  For help in assessing permissions for your course materials, feel free to:

• e-mail us your course readings list,
• e-mail us individual readings as you assign them throughout the semester, or
• if your course readings are in Moodle, provide me with temporary access as an "auditor" to enable compilation of a list for permissions assessment.

For each item or reading we will:

• assess whether permission is needed,
• assess whether a pre-existing permission source is in place (such as library licensing or an applicable user’s right under the Copyright Act),
• when applicable, ensure the link to subscribed content is a “persistent link” allowing on- and off-campus access,
• for a chapter or article that falls outside of applicable licensing agreements and statutory provisions, acquire a pay-per-use license using a new fund established in 2017 for course readings permissions,
• arrange for help from Library student assistants to scan readings and format the scanned PDFs if you want to use excerpts from printed books or journals, and
• provide you with a complete permissions assessment report.

Please contact the University Copyright Advisor office if you wish to book an appointment to discuss your needs in detail.  We also welcome requests for copyright presentations or workshops for a class, group, or department wishing to explore specific copyright issues in-depth.

Rumi Graham
University Copyright Advisor