1. Can I photocopy and distribute to my class a journal article and/or several pages from a book?
Yes. Journal articles and excerpts from books, if they qualify as short excerpts in accordance with the Fair Dealing Policy can be copied and handed out to students enrolled in your course.
2. Can I include copies of another person's images and materials in my PowerPoint presentations?
Yes. Under fair dealing you may do so, provided you adhere to the amount that may be copied under fair dealing.
3. Can I play music in class?
Yes! The Copyright Act of Canada allows you to play a sound recording or live radio broadcasts in class as long as it is for educational purposes, not for profit, on College premises, before an audience consisting primarily of students. However, if you want to use music for non-educational purposes, for example, for background music at a conference or graduation ceremony, a license must be obtained from the copyright collective SOCAN.
4. Can I show movies, news programs or videos in class?
You may show a film or other cinematographic work in the classroom as long as the work is not an infringing copy, the film or work was legally obtained, and you do not circumvent a digital lock to access the film or work. If you want to show a television news program in the classroom, under the Copyright Act of Canada educational institutions (or those acting under their authority) may copy television news programs or news commentaries and play them in class.
You may perform a work available through the Internet, e.g. YouTube videos, except under the following circumstances: The work is protected by digital locks preventing their performance; A clearly visible notice prohibiting educational use is posted on the website or on the work itself; You have reason to believe that the work available on the internet is in violation of the copyright owner's rights.
5. Are there any databases of copyrighted materials that I can use for free without worrying about copyright?
Yes. There's a wealth of material which is either in the public domain or available under what is known as Creative Commons licensing, which generally means the work is available for free, subject to certain limited conditions, such as non-commercial use only and acknowledgment of the author. For Creative Commons materials, visit the Creative Commons website for more information or check out their content directories which list audio, video, image and text materials available under Creative Commons licensing. For public domain material, simply search online for ‘public domain’ and the type of material you’re interested in. Some useful sites include: Project Gutenberg (the largest collection of copyright-free books online) and Wikipedia, which has an entire page dedicated to public domain resources. For other online materials, a recommended best practice is to check the website’s ‘Terms of Use’, or ‘Legal Notices’ section to confirm what conditions apply to use of the website’s material. In many cases, you may be able to use the material for free for non-commercial and educational purposes.
