Skip to Main Content

Copyright @ Niagara College

Learn more about copyright at Niagara College.

Creating Course Material @ NC

Take the guesswork out of copyright. Open educational resources, or OERs, are items free of license or royalty fees for reuse in an educational context. These items usually have reduced copyright restrictions which are clearly outlined and easily understood. 

For more information watch the video below and see the Library & Learning Commons OER guide.

Providing links to items from Library databases in Brightspace is an excellent way to ensure you are not violating any copyright regulations. Limiting your print copies is also a great way to help Niagara College meet its sustainability goals.

The Library subscribes to a variety of research databases which can be accessed through the library website. These databases offer access to thousands of scholarly journals, eBooks, current industry information, live streaming videos, and more!

Note: Niagara College purchases licence rights with each database vendor.  Therefore, permissions for what can be done with database content will vary.  However, generally, you CANNOT print articles from a database and then copy and redistribute it to your class.  The licence agreement we have with the vendor takes precedence over fair dealing.

Visit our A-Z databases page to see the full list of available databases.  You will need to use your network username and password to login.

If you are having trouble with your login, please contact the library.

Niagara College Libraries subscribe to several video streaming databases, which are fully licensed alternatives to YouTube.

Before you post any videos to Niagara College's Streaming Server, contact your campus Library.  Since every case is different, we will work with you to ensure all of the necessary permissions have been obtained.

Whose permission do I need in order to put a video on the streaming server?

Permission from the copyright holder. In order to comply with copyright law, anyone wishing to post a video on the college’s streaming server must have the following permissions from the copyright holder:

  1. Permission to convert the video to Flash format.
  2. Permission to distribute the video on an intranet via a streaming server.

Is the permission valid forever?

When you ask for permission, you should ask if there are any conditions such as a fee, or a start/end date.

What do I do with the permission once I get it?

The Library is maintaining a file of permissions for all copyrighted videos on the streaming server. Please forward the permission from the copyright holder to the library at library@niagaracollege.ca. The permission must be in writing, however an email forwarded from the copyright holder is sufficient.

What if I made the video myself?

If the video is your own production, then you are the copyright holder. If you are only showing it to your own students, then no record of permission is required. If you are sharing the video with other faculty, please send an email granting the above permissions to the library@niagaracollege.ca.

What about the videos and DVDs that are held in the collection of the Libraries of Niagara College? Can I post them on the streaming server?

Not unless we obtain permission. Videos and DVDs are purchased by the library with Public Performance Rights, but not with permission to convert to Flash or to load on a streaming server.

What about videos I have purchased or rented myself? Can I post them on the streaming server?

Not without permission from the copyright holder. Most videos are sold or rented with the label “For Home Viewing Only” and they cannot be copied or have their format changed.

What about a video I find on the internet? Can I copy it to the streaming server?

Videos on the internet (i.e. YouTube and other video hosting sites) are also copyrighted works.

You must contact the copyright holder and get permissions to change the file format, post the video on our server and use it in classrooms.

The college will not mirror or link to videos that are illegally posted to the web.

What about videos I have purchased or rented myself? Can I post them on the streaming server?

Not without permission from the copyright holder. Most videos are sold or rented with the label “For Home Viewing Only” and they cannot be copied or have their format changed.  Therefore you cannot put this type of dvd on the streaming server.

I have my permissions – what do I do next?

Please forward the permissions to the library via email at library@niagaracollege.ca. You can then post the video to the streaming server. Here is a quick summary of the procedure for putting a video on the streaming server:

  1. Obtain permission (as above) in writing from the copyright holder
  2. Forward the permissions to the library
  3. Convert the DVD to Flash format 
  4. Load the video on the streaming server 
  5. Save the URL and distribute it to colleagues and students (email, Brightspace etc.)

 

You may play a sound recording (e.g, song, spoken word, instrumental, etc.) in the classroom.

In order to take advantage of this educational provision, the following conditions must be met:

  • The recording is being played for the purpose of education or training.
  • The recording is being played on the premises of an educational institution.
  • The recording is being played to an audience consisting of students.
  • The copy of the recording is not an illegal or infringing copy.

See Section 29.5(b) of the Canadian Copyright Act for more information.

Open Access Music sources:

How to create a Creative Commons attribute.

You may use images from public websites for classroom presentations, or for posting into Blackboard (for educational or training purposes), as long as you satisfy the following criteria:

  • You do not break or circumvent a digital lock to access or obtain a copy of the work;
  • There is no clear and visible notice on the website or on the work itself that prohibits the use or reproduction of the work (more than just a copyright symbol);
  • The website is not questionable, infringing or clearly using the works without the copyright owner’s consent; and
  • You identify the source of the work and, if available and applicable, the author, performer, maker or broadcaster of the work.

See Section 29.4 of Canada's Copyright Act for more information.

A great option is to use a public domain image or an image with creative commons licensing (always make sure to follow the cc license and attribution requirements.

Please remember to cite your sources.

Open Access Image Resources:

Always follow Fair Dealing guidelines and the terms of use/Creative Commons licence requirements associated with a work.

How to create a Creative Commons attribute.

Class Handouts:

Have you considered linking to items instead of making class handouts? This is an ideal solution to ensure copyright compliance and to support Niagara College's sustainability goals. 

If you are making copies of published works for your class, you will have to ensure that copying falls under the  "fair dealing" exceptions or you have permission from the copyright owner.

How do you know if your copies are considered "fair dealing?"  You must ensure that your copies meet the Fair Dealing criteria as set out in the Copyright Act.

Copying Guidelines:

1. One copy for each student in the class, two copies for each instructor.

 2. You may copy 10% of a published work or one of the following, whichever is greater:

  • An entire newspaper article or page.
  • An entire chapter, if it is not more than 20% of the book .
  • An entire single short story, play, poem, essay or article from a book or periodical issue containing other works.
  • An entire entry from an encyclopedia, dictionary or similar reference book.
  • An entire reproduction of an artistic work from a book or periodical issue containing other works. Artistic works include drawings, sculptures, paintings, prints, architectural works of art or works of artistic craftsmanship.

3. You may not do systematic or cumulative copying of the same published work in excess of these limits.

4. The full bibliographic citation must appear on the front page of each excerpt to be copied including:

  • Title
  • Author
  • Publisher.
  • Publishing Date & Edition 
  • ISBN/ISSN
  • For more information click on the following link: Citation Help

NOTE: Materials found on the Internet are afforded the same copyright protection as print materials.  Anything you copy from the Internet must be fully cited and you must ensure the work is legally posted by the copyright owner. This includes all text, graphics, images, sound, video, news and games available on the Internet, as well as postings to newsgroups and e-mail messages.  Content retrieved from password protected web sites cannot be reproduced without consent.

 

 

Coursepacks/ Course Manuals

Coursepacks

Coursepacks are compilations of selected readings created for a specific course. Course packages are subject to royalties because they are sold to students. Coursepacks must be cleared by the library prior to each submission for copying (generally, publisher permissions must be obtained every time an item is used in a coursepack, regardless if permission has been obtained in the past).

Coursepacks must be submitted to the Library for clearance 6-8 weeks prior to the start of the term in which the coursepack is to be used, i.e., by June 30 for Fall term, October 31 for Winter term, February 28 for Spring term.

Is a coursepack necessary? Have you considered posting links to journal articles in Blackboard instead? This is an ideal solution to ensure copyright compliance, to support Niagara College's sustainability goals, and to help students save money. 

Course Manuals

If you are submitting a course manual that consists entirely of material created by Niagara College faculty (including any photos, diagrams, etc.), the following disclaimer must appear on the front page of the manual:

This course manual is the copyright of Niagara College and permission is granted for use within the Niagara College community.  The information contained herein is entirely original material created by faculty expressly for this course.  No further copying is allowed without permission of the copyright holder.

Note: Have you considered posting the entire manual on Brightspace instead? This is an ideal solution to ensure copyright compliance, to support Niagara College's sustainability goals, and help students save money.