LibGuides: Copyright: Home

Overview

'Copyright' is the common term for contractual (i.e. law-based) agreements with copyright holders, distributors and collective agencies.

The laws that govern the use of copyrighted works in Canada are:

The rightsholder of a work may have different rights with regards to the same work in different countries.

There are a number of policies and procedures relating to Copyright that BCIT's students, staff, and faculty are expected to operate under:

Policy 7506: Use of Materials Protected by Copyright (2013)
- Defines the roles and responsibilities of BCIT's employees in reproducing copyright-protected material. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of copyright infringement that could result in legal action against BCIT.
Procedure 7506-PR1: Copyright Fair Dealing Guidelines (2013)
- Describes the required process to follow when assessing whether a particular copying activity or other dealing falls
  within Fair Dealing (or other exceptions under the Copyright Act)
Procedure 7506‐PR2: Granting Permission for Use of BCIT Copyright Materials (2009)
- Explains the process to grant permission to external parties for their use of works that are owned by BCIT.
Form LIB-72: Copyright Clearance Request (2007)
- Use this form to seek permission to utilise copyright-protected material not covered by a licence agreement

Blog: Michael Geist
A law professor at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Geist's blog features regular informed pieces on Canadian Copyright, including in the context of Higher Education
Copyright Board of Canada
Established as part of the Copyright Act, the Board's mandate includes approval of copyright-related tariffs, settlement of individual cases, and granting of licences
Copyright Matters! 5th Ed. (Nowl, W. & Snel, J. 2022)
Published by Council of Ministers of Education (Canada) (CMEC), this resource provides a starting point for increasing instructors' awareness of their rights and obligations in selecting and using copyright-protected materials at their educational institution.
Canadian Copyright Law, 4th Ed. (Harris, L.E. 2014)
Copyright is one of the most important issues for creative professionals, consumers of that media, and those who work in related industries. With the line between what is protected and what is 'free' blurring further and increasing in complexity, this book discusses pertinent issues in the context of Canadian legislation and international agreements.
Copyright & New Media Law Newsletter (1997-2017)
Covers copyright and new media law issues and how they affect those who work with information and content in all media (e.g. books, audio/audio-visual recordings, software, and other digital works); in a variety of venues including educational institutions.