Copyright for Faculty | Humber Libraries

Copyright Answers for Faculty

The Library's copyright department (copyright@humber.ca) will answer any questions about using material in the classroom. We will also work with you on permission requests.

What is Access Copyright?
Access Copyright is a collective that licenses copying and collects royalties for many publishers. The college has signed an agreement with Access Copyright that sets the limits on the type and amount that can be copied on campus.

What can I copy under the Access Copyright agreement?
Our agreement covers copying from print materials to print/overheads only. Copying is classified into two categories:
- Copying for class distribution
  - You are allowed to make 1 copy for each student in the class and 2 copies for each instructor.
  - No copying shall exceed 10% of a published work or the following, whichever is greater:
    - An article from a journal issue (including a set of conference proceedings)
    - An entire short story, play, poem, or essay from a book
    - One chapter, if it is not more than 20% of the book
    - An entire newspaper article or page
    - An entire entry from an encyclopedia, dictionary or similar reference book
    - A single item of print music from a book or journal containing other kinds of works
  - The following information should be included on the front page of the copy:
    - The international copyright symbol
    - Credit to the author and publisher
    - A notice which reads This material has been copied under licence from Access Copyright. Resale or further copying of this material is strictly prohibited.
- Copying for sale
  - Course packs and custom publications of materials collected for a course belong in this category.
  - Contact the Humber Bookstore's Textbook dept. at ext. 4987 (North) or ext. 3566 (Lakeshore) about copying limitations for course packs. Give 6-8 weeks notice.
What can't I copy under the Access Copyright agreement??
- Course packs or custom publications.
- Harvard or Ivey business case studies.
- Systematic or cumulative copying of the same published work, which would exceed the limit.
- Letters to the editor and advertisements in newspapers and journals.
- Sheet music, workbooks, examination papers, instruction manuals, newsletters.
- Government publications. However, you can copy federal and Ontario laws and judicial decisions without asking permission, provided the copy is accurate and is not represented as an official version.
- Access Copyright does not represent all publishers. You can not copy any material from the publishers on the exclusions list. Please contact us for information.

Who do I contact for permission to copy outside the agreement?
Email copyright@humber.ca for assistance with
- Contacting publishers on the exclusions list for copyright clearance. Additional payment of royalties may be required.
- Getting exception clearance for copying more than what is allowed.
- Obtaining written permission from Access Copyright to copy up to the whole of an out of print book.
- Using work in Blackboard.
Please let us know if you choose to get the permissions yourself. We would like to keep a record of copyright activity on campus.

Scanning work

Is scanning covered by the agreement?
No. Permission is needed depending on the end use of the scanned work
As an overhead in the classroom. Cite the source.

In Powerpoint for a lesson. Cite the source.
In Blackboard without permission. We'll help with the request.
On a website without permission. We'll help with the request.

Image use

Don't assume you can use images you find. Always check a site's terms and conditions and credit the source. There are educational alternatives such as:

Search the library databases found at our Images subject.
Check the Creative Commons Directory for image sources.
Wikimedia Commons has freely usable image files.
Museum photography can be found at Flickr Commons.
Images Canada covers Canadian content.

Blackboard issues

Humber's Access Copyright agreement does not cover the online environment so think about the resources you plan to use in Blackboard.

Print sources
You need permission to use scanned articles and chapters because of the possibility of content redistribution by others.

PDF articles from journal databases can not be uploaded because of licencing restrictions. Add the citation and/or article link instead.
Use article links from the Library's full-text databases instead of asking for permission to use the scanned print equivalents.
Email us at copyright@humber.ca and we'll show you how to create online reading lists of newspaper and journal articles.

Internet sources
You need to check if the content can be used for educational purposes. Credit the source of any used content.

Some web sites provide flexible use of their content. The most popular is the Creative Commons (read about the CC).
- Check the Creative Commons Directory for licensed images, text, audio and video.
- Wikimedia Commons has freely usable media files.
- Find public domain works at Project Gutenberg.
- Museum photography can be found at Flickr Commons.

YouTube and copyright

YouTube and other video sharing sites may contain content not uploaded by the copyright owner.
- If you find a CBC news show uploaded by newsjunky45 then any use of this content endorses copyright infringement.
- Many content creators like the CBC have channels on YouTube. The videos found on these channels can be used.
- Check who uploaded the video for its legitimacy.
- Watch this 2 minute YouTube and Copyright tutoral for details.

Videos in the classroom

In order to show a film to your class, the film must include public performance rights.

Library-owned DVDs and videos have public performance rights. You don’t need to report these titles.
Public library videos are for home use only.
Humber has license agreements with AudioCine and Criterion that allow for classroom screening of feature films (not documentaries) bought or rented from Blockbuster, Rogers, etc.
AudioCine and Criterion require faculty to report the films used and the date of the screening.
- North Media Resources at videonorth@humber.ca
- Lakeshore Library Services at videolake@humber.ca
You need permission to copy video segments for use in presentations. One alternative is to borrow the video and cue it to the relevant section.

Taping TV and radio shows

Faculty can show a television program or play a radio broadcast while it is being aired.
News programs or news commentaries can be taped for one year without paying. After the year a tariff is paid to the ERCC or the tape must be destroyed.
- News examples: the National (first 30 mins only), BBC World Report, Global News, Le telejournal
- Commentary examples: the Editors, Larry King Live, As It Happens
Documentaries: there are no exceptions so you must pay a tariff to the ERCC to use taped documentaries.
- Examples: 20/20, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Dateline
- Examples: W5, 5th Estate, Rex Murphy, Life & Times, the Nature of Things, Venture, Marketplace
Series: there are no exceptions so you must pay a tariff to the ERCC to use taped shows.
- Examples: ER, Six Feet Under, Saturday Night Live
The Educational Rights Collective of Canada (ERCC) is a non-profit Canadian copyright collective society that administers the Educational Rights Tariff.
- The price structure is $2.00/min for television and $0.17/min for radio. Contact us for the reporting form.
- Please be aware that most TV programs can be purchased through the Library instead of going through the ERCC.

Music in the classroom

Section 29.5 of the Copyright Act allows an educational institution to play music and other sound recordings in class for educational purposes.
The Act does not cover converting musical formats (CDs to mp3s).
Copying music for private use is allowed but section 80 of the Act limits distribution of the copied work even if the distribution is not for trade.
You need permission to copy/download recorded music. Try these sites for free music: