As we all prepare for Winter term 2021, this message focuses on copyright management for content uploaded to the LEARN learning management system by faculty and instructors. The Provost, in his message of July 27, 2020, highlighted the University’s ongoing efforts to make available copyright resources and supports for students, faculty, and staff. Beginning in December, new messaging and a pop-up notice regarding copyright will appear in LEARN. This pop-up informs you of the responsibility you share with the University and is intended to serve as a reminder that materials that are uploaded to LEARN must be copyright-cleared in some way. The notice also provides a reminder of the guidance offered by the University, and the support services that are available.
Starting on December 16, and continuing on a per term basis afterward, you will be presented with the pop-up statement on LEARN. This pop-up will appear once per term for each instructor, disappearing after instructors acknowledge it by clicking the ‘Close’ button. The full text of the notice is included below.
If you have any questions about this notice, please reach out to the co-chairs of the Copyright Advisory Committee:
If you’re looking to learn more about copyright the Copyright @ Waterloo website is the central place for campus copyright information. It contains a guide for instructors, a frequently asked questions page, and guidance on using the fair dealing exception. Online training is also available, synchronously through the listings on the Copyright @ Waterloo events page, and asynchronously through the Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ free, online Copyright modules designed for university instructors and staff. If you have any questions about copyright, please reach out to copyright@uwaterloo.ca.
Thank you,
Beth Namachchivaya, University Librarian & Nickola Voegelin, General Counsel, Co-Chairs of the Copyright Advisory Committee
Copy of the LEARN Notice
Keep Copyright in Mind
Instructors and the University have a shared responsibility to ensure that copyright is respected when making use of materials in teaching.
You may upload content to LEARN if the material falls into one of the following categories:
- You own the copyright in the material (e.g., your course notes);
- The material was copied under a Copyright Act exception, such as the Fair Dealing or Educational Institutions exceptions;
- The material is subject to a Library licence that allows use in LEARN;
- Terms of Use of the source allows such use;
- The material is in the public domain (copyright protection usually expires 50 years after the death of the creator);
- The material has an open licence, such as a Creative Commons licence;
- The material is a very small amount, such as a quote; or
- You have received permission from the copyright holder for such use.
If you have questions about whether your material meets one of these requirements, please consult the Copyright Guide for Instructors or contact copyright@uwaterloo.ca. If you would like to gain a better understanding of copyright check out the Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ free, online Copyright modules designed for university instructors and staff.
By clicking the close button below, you acknowledge that you have read the copyright notice.
[Acknowledge and Close] | [More information about this notice]
