This update is provided for archival purposes only.

Public Health guidance and University of Waterloo operations may have changed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our COVID-19 frequently asked questions.

Copyright services and resources for teaching online

Monday, March 16, 2020

This message was originally sent to instructors by Lauren Byl, copyright and licensing librarian, on behalf of the Copyright Advisory Committee.

As courses are being transitioned to online, please keep the following in mind:

  • The same rules that were in place before are in place now. There have been no changes to the assessment of copyright-protected materials.
  • Linking to Library licensed resources (eBook and eJournal content) is always okay, with the exception of the Harvard Business Review.
  • Linking to legal, freely available material online is always okay.
  • If you want to provide content directly in LEARN, remember:
    • The Fair Dealing Advisory provides guidelines on how much may be scanned and uploaded to LEARN.  
    • eJournals and eBooks are almost always covered by license agreements. License agreements set out specific rules to follow when using electronic resources. To find out if you can use licensed content in LEARN, use the Finding Usage Rights page for step-by-step instructions on how to find license terms. Alternatively, you can email copyright@uwaterloo.ca for an answer.
  • When posting material online, remember that the Advisory and Library licenses guidelines are based on providing materials to students in a way where access is restricted (ex. password protected) to only the instructor and students in the class.  

Resources and Services available:

  • Review the guide for instructors.  
  • All the online-teaching related FAQs have been moved up into the top section on the Copyright Website.
  • If you have any copyright questions, please don’t hesitate to email copyright@uwaterloo.ca.
  • Lauren Byl, Copyright & Licensing Librarian will be available via WebEx for just-in-time online consultations at the following times:
    • Tuesday, March 17, 1:00 – 4:00pm
    • Wednesday, March 18, 2:00 – 4:00pm
    • Thursday, March 19, 10:00am – 12:00pm
    • Friday, March 20, 10:00am – 12:00pm

 Navigate to https://uwaterloo.webex.com/meet/lrbyl. You can join by phone by calling 1-844-426-4405 and entering access code: 736 452 462.

Thanks for your attention to this as you transition your courses online. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for help as questions arise.