Fair Dealing Week is a celebration of the rights provided to users of copyright-protected material under the fair dealing exception in the Copyright Act. This exception allows for the use of copyright-protected works for specific purposes, such as education and research, as long as the use is fair.
Knowing how you can use fair dealing, and how to judge fairness can be challenging. Never fear! The University of Waterloo provides numerous resources to help you understand copyright, and the fair dealing exception.
Where should you get started?
First, check out the Copyright Guidelines, frequently asked questions (FAQ) page. The FAQ contains answers to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about copyright, but were afraid to ask! This includes questions about fair dealing, see questions:
Second, have a look at the Fair Dealing Advisory. The University of Waterloo has adopted this advisory to assist users in determining what may be copied or communicated for instructional purposes without infringing copyright.
Third, use the fair dealing flowchart. The fair dealing flowchart guides you through the steps to take when making a fair dealing assessment. The flowchart will help you figure out whether your use is more or less fair.
More questions?
If you’re looking for more in-depth information about copyright and fair dealing, turn to the library research guides:
- Copyright and licensing
- This guide provides detailed information about the Canadian Copyright Act, exceptions, case law, and resources on campus.
- Fair Dealing Week
- This guide provides further information on fair dealing, and includes additional resources specific to the celebration of Fair Dealing Week.
If you’re looking for an answer to a specific fair dealing question, connect with the Licensing and Copyright Librarian:
Lauren Byl
lrbyl@uwaterloo.ca
ext. 32356
Join us in celebrating Fair Dealing Week!