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Libraries and Learning Skills

Copyright

Copyright for lecturers

For teaching purposes, the CLA licence permits Higher Education institutions to make multiple photocopies or scanned versions from printed material. Some publishers are not members of the scheme so please check the list of excluded categories and works to see whether the material/publisher that you would like to copy from is not listed.

When preparing teaching material, you need to consider the following:

  • Material found on the internet must not be saved and added to the VLE (Blackboard/Canvas/Moodle) or used in your presentation – best practice is to reference the source and provide a web link;
  • Check the source of anything that you would like to link to; ensure it has been uploaded by the copyright holder or with the holder’s permission;
  • Scanned extracts of books or journals need to be requested via the Library (for more information, see our guide on digitised readings);
  • Copying for the purpose of examinations may be carried out without seeking permission.

When it comes to copying for research and private study, academic staff should follow the same guidelines as students.

What can I photocopy/print to give to students?

The amount that can be copied from any one publication is limited (this falls in line with the limitations for private study/research).

Under the CLA Higher Education Licence you can photocopy/print:

  • up to 10% or one chapter of a book (whichever is greater);
  • up to 10% or one article from a single issue of a journal (whichever is greater);
  • up to 10% or one paper of one set of conference proceedings;
  • up to 10% or one case of one report of judicial proceedings;
  • photographs, illustrations, charts or diagrams where they are included in an extract or article;
  • one short story or one poem or one play of not more than 10 pages in an anthology of short stories, poems or plays.

If you are photocopying, the number of copies should not exceed the number of students.

What can I scan/save to upload to Blackboard?

You should not upload any scanned or PDF copies of resources to the VLE (Blackboard/Canvas/Moodle).

The material we provide to students has to be compliant with copyright law, and the requirements of our licence with the Copyright Licensing Agency. Whilst links to online material do comply with copyright regulations, placing scans or PDFs of material such as book chapters or journal articles directly onto the VLE breaches copyright.

To avoid non-compliance with copyright, material should either:

  • be linked to by adding the URL/web address of the source to the VLE (Blackboard/Canvas/Moodle)
    or
  • by linking to the relevant Talis reading list where a digitised copy of the material can be uploaded under the terms of the Copyright Licensing Agency Higher Education Licence.  Digitised copies need to be requested via the module reading list and uploaded to the relevant reading list by the library.  See our guide on digitised readings for more information.   

Photographs and other images

When including images in your teaching check copyright permissions as photographs, diagrams and other illustrations (from both printed and online sources) are subject to copyright. 

Images that appear to be freely available on the internet should only be used in your teaching if they have a Creative Commons licence granting copyright permission. 

You should check the Creative Commons licence for individual images as this can vary by image and by creator. When using any image with a Creative Commons licence you should ensure that you credit the creator.    

Films, videos, DVDs and Television recordings

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act allows exceptions when it comes to copying and/or showing film/broadcasts in an educational institution.* This means that films, videos, DVDs and television recordings (whether purchased or hired) can be shown in lectures, seminars, tutorials and examinations for the purpose of instruction only.   

To assist with this we subscribe to BoB National (Box of Broadcasts).  BoB is an on demand TV and radio service for education that enables staff and students to record programmes from over 60 TV and radio channels.  BoB also allows staff and students to search an archive of recordings, edit programmes into clips and create playlists. Clips from Bob can also be embedded into the VLE (Blackboard/Canvas/Moodle).  

If you have a Netflix account you can provide a "one-time screening" of an original documentary in an educational setting.  Visit Netflix for more information.

*These exceptions are defences and should never be seen as an absolute right.