For Undergraduate Students

The following information and resources address common topics of interest for undergraduate students, related to copyright.

Making Copies

Self-serve copiers and scanners are made available in the library (and elsewhere on campus), allowing you to photocopy or scan materials according to your needs. If you want to copy from a copyright-protected work in any format (e.g., paper or digital), it is important to understand the ways you can do so without infringing copyright.

Making copies of a substantial portion of any material protected by copyright is lawful only when the copying counts as fair dealing, when it falls under a specific exception set out in the Copyright Act, or when the copying has been authorized by the copyright owner.

 

Fair Dealing

Fair dealing is a statutory right that allows users to reproduce copyright-protected works for specific purposes when doing so meets certain established criteria for fairness. As a student, when you make personal copies (as opposed to copying for University purposes) it is your responsibility to assess whether or not your use counts as fair. To help you decide, see Fair Dealing for Personal Purposes and Tips for Conducting a Fair Dealing Analysis. 

 

Resources

Introduction to Copyright, Overview – 5 Key Concepts: Work, Ownership, Infringement, Exceptions, and Balance

Canadian Copyright Law – An introduction to basic principles of copyright law including copyright ownership, publication, and licensing

Using Images – How copyright law applies to the use of images in a range of contexts

Showing Movies – Factors to consider if you are showing a movie to a group of people outside of a private dwelling

Sharing Course Notes and Study Materials Online – What you need to know about Course Hero, OneClass, and other related services

Helping Students Understand Copyright and Plagiarism – Knowing the similarities and differences between copyright infringement and plagiarism may help you avoid both

Opening Up Copyright Instructional Modules – A series of modules on various aspects of copyright

Notice and Notice Regime – Learn about the University’s legal requirement to forward notices regarding alleged infringing uploading and downloading activity