Campus Classroom
Copyright information regarding face-to-face classrooms on campus.
3.1 May I include images, a photograph or reproduction of a painting for example, or other material created by someone else in my PowerPoint presentation?
3.2 May I provide copies of my classroom presentation that contain material created by someone else as a handout for my students?
3.3 May I upload a copy of my class presentation that contains material created by someone else into the class OWL site?
3.4 I gave a PowerPoint presentation in a class lecture which includes materials from a textbook (including multiple graphs and images), as well as articles and photos from various Western Library e-journals. May I post a video or audio recording of the class lecture (such as a recorded voice-over Powerpoint of the lesson) on Western’s learning management system? I’ll be sure to cite where the figures came from?
3.5 I’ve come across a recent journal article and/or several pages from a book that I want to distribute to my students. How may I distribute these materials to my students?
3.6 May I play music in class?
3.7 May I show movies, news programs or videos in class?
3.1 May I include images, a photograph or reproduction of a painting for example, or other material created by someone else in my PowerPoint presentation?
Yes, the Educational Institutions exception allows you to make copies of works to “perform” in a classroom presentation for students on Western premises for educational and training purposes. The caveat is a commercial equivalent is not available the Canadian market within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price. See Western’s Educational Institutions Exceptions Guidelines for additional detail.
3.2 May I provide copies of my classroom presentation that contain material created by someone else as a handout for my students?
Under the Educational Institutions exception you may provide physical copies of a presentation to your students, if the third party material within your presentations is insubstantial or falls under the Fair Dealing exception or the Educational Institutions exception of the Act. Additional conditions may apply.
3.3 May I upload a copy of my class presentation that contains material created by someone else into the class OWL site?
You may upload digital versions of the presentation for your students into the course OWL site, if the third party material within your presentations is insubstantial or falls under the Fair Dealing exception of the Act. See Western’s Substantiality Guidelines and Fair Dealing Exception Guidelines for additional detail.
3.4 I gave a PowerPoint presentation in a class lecture which includes materials from a textbook (including multiple graphs and images), as well as articles and photos from various Western Library e-journals. May I post a video or audio recording of the class lecture (such as a recorded voice-over Powerpoint of the lesson) on Western’s learning management system? I’ll be sure to cite where the figures came from.
The Copyright Act allows educational institutions to communicate lessons (which includes parts of lessons, tests or examinations) on-line, to students enrolled in a specific course, for education or training purposes, and to record the lessons, as long as the inclusion of any third party copyrighted materials in the lessons is allowed under another exception under the Copyright Act, such as the fair dealing exception or other educational exceptions.
Students can make a copy of telecommunicated lessons for personal use, to be viewed or listened to at a later time.
The following conditions must be followed:
- the institution must take reasonable measures to limit the audience to students only (e.g. secure password-protected access such as OWL), and to prevent the students from fixing, reproducing or communicating the lessons except as permitted by the Act.
- the recordings cannot be sold, rented or distributed widely ) to the public (beyond the audience of students enrolled in the class) in any way that prejudices the copyright owner.
- the student and the institution must destroy the recording, fixation or copy within 30 days after receipt of final course evaluations;
This exception would allow you to post a video or audio recording of your class lecture, including a recorded voice-over Powerpoint of the lesson, on Western’s secure learning management system, as long as you comply with the conditions.
For materials from Western’s licensed electronic resources, the terms of the digital licence may also impact how material can be used.
Citing sources is always necessary whenever we use the work of others for research, teaching and learning. Although required by the Copyright Act in some circumstances such as news reporting, attribution also ensures compliance Western’s policy on plagiarism.
3.5 I’ve come across a recent journal article and/or several pages from a book. How may I distribute these materials to my students?
You may reproduce copyright-protected works to distribute as a handout out to each student in your class or post into OWL, Western’s secure learning management system, if the material copied falls under the Fair Dealing exception of the Act. If you want to provide articles or excerpts from a book to students on a regular basis, for example, every year that you teach the course, and you know what articles or excerpts you want to include in advance, you may consider creating a course book instead.
3.6 May I play music in class?
The Educational Institutions exception in the Copyright Act applies to playing music in class, which the Act considers public performance. Your dealing with the work satisfies the conditions for the Education exception stipulated in the Act because it will be:
- for educational purposes, and not for profit,
- on the premises of the institution, and
- before an audience that primarily consists of students.
However, there are additional conditions that apply.
Performing music is acceptable provided the copy that you perform is not an infringing copy. Therefore, using a purchased CD or a track purchased for download from a service such as iTunes is allowed. A copy illegally downloaded from the Internet would not be allowed.
See Western’s Educational Institutions Exceptions Guidelines for additional detail.
3.7 May I show movies, news programs or videos in class?
You may show the following works in class, as long as it is
- for educational or training purposes;
- not for profit;
- on Western premises;
- before an audience consisting primarily of students, faculty or any person who is directly responsible for setting a curriculum for Western;
- attributed. Acknowledging the source is always required not only when specifically required by the Copyright Act (that is for the purposes of criticism, review or news reporting) but also to comply with Western’s policy on plagiarism.
a. Movies or other cinematographic work provided:
- the work is not an infringing copy (i.e. legally obtained or purchased),
- you do not circumvent a Digital Lock to access the work.
b. Videos or other subject matter that is available through the Internet provided:
- you do not break or circumvent a digital lock or TPM 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.
c. News or news commentary programs (excluding documentaries)
- copies made by you or Western for the purposes of performing the copy to Western students for educational or training purposes.
Unless otherwise indicated, content on Western's copyright website is licensed under
a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.
Created 03/21/2014
Updated
Content adapted with permission from UBC’s Campus Classroom FAQ
