Using Copyright Protected Content

Using copyright-protected content

This video will explain how you, as a student or researcher, can use copyrighted materials in your own work, while respecting Canada’s copyright laws and avoiding copyright infringement.

Copyright applies to all types of works, including content found on the internet. This is true even if the copyright symbol isn’t visible.

When copying and sharing someone else’s work, such as when including parts of it in your own creation, the copyright owner’s permission is usually required.

However, there are several ways in which you may be able to use someone’s work without needing permission. These are:

1. When using content that is not protected by copyright

2. When using content under a license that permits you to use it in specific ways

3. When using content as permitted by an exception in the Copyright Act, such as fair dealing

[1. When using content that is not protected by copyright:]

For example, you may freely copy works in which copyright has expired, also known as public domain works. In Canada, copyright in a work generally expires 70 years after the death of the work’s author or creator.

Also, some types of content don’t qualify for copyright protection, such as facts, data, or very insubstantial portions of a work.

[2. When using content under a license that permits you to use it in specific ways:]

When using licensed materials, including e-books, e-journals, and some websites, certain uses may be permitted under the terms of those licenses.

See the library’s policy on Acceptable Use of Online Resources for the ways in which licensed library content can be used.

You will also find that some content on the internet is openly-licensed. This is generally indicated by a Creative Commons (CC) license.

[Audio download link with CC 4.0 Attribution NonCommercial License present.]

Works with CC licenses can be used without seeking permission, as long as you follow the license terms provided.

If the content you wish to use doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, you may still be able to copy it!

[The first two copyright exceptions are highlighted on screen.]

[3. When using content as permitted by an exception in the Copyright Act, such as fair dealing:]

Canada’s Copyright Act contains exceptions that allow content to be used in certain ways without needing to obtain permission from the copyright owner.

In particular, the fair dealing exception allows for the limited copying of works for purposes such as education, research, private study, criticism and review.

To learn more about how you can use the fair dealing exception, see Fair dealing and other exceptions in the Copyright Act on the library’s copyright web pages.

And remember, whenever you use someone else’s work, always cite the source and credit the author or creator.

While these are some important considerations for including copyrighted works in your class assignments or research papers, other types of uses may require you to obtain the copyright owner’s permission.

[A person walking into a building labelled 'publisher'.]

Check out the library’s copyright web pages for more information about Using Copyright Protected Works.

Need more help? You can email us, use the Click to Chat feature on the library website, or drop by!