Michael Byun, Manager, Bookstores
Tim Paul, Manager, Academic Technology Services.
Responsible for Audio/Visual Recording and online content used for instructional purposes.
Katharine Shipley, Associate Director of Learning Resources.
Responsible for copyright in relation to use of Library print and digital collections.
Debra Flewelling, Open Education Librarian.
The following information is meant to provide general copyright information and answers to commonly asked questions. It is not legal advice and should not be construed as a substitute for seeking out legal advice.
Copyright protects all original literary, artistic, dramatic, and musical works, including computer programs, translated works, compilations of other's works, sound recordings, and performances.
Copyright is automatic and applies as soon as a work is in a fixed form, whether digital or analog.
Generally (but not always), the author of the work is the first copyright owner – although they may give away or sell their copy rights to another individual or an organization. The copyright owner controls if and how the work is produced, copied, performed, published, adapted, translated etc.
The rights of the copyright owner, however, are subject to certain user rights, which permit the use of copyright protected works in certain circumstances, without payment or permission from the copyright owner.
In Canada, copyright is governed by the Copyright Act, Canadian case law, and International copyright treaties.
Copyright protects all original literary, artistic, dramatic, and musical work, including computer programs, translated works, compilations of other's works, sound recordings, and performances.
Always assume a work is protected by copyright, unless there is clear indication otherwise. A work may still be protected by copyright even if there is no copyright symbol displayed.
Copyright in Canada is automatic and applies to all works as soon as they are in a 'fixed' form, whether digital or analog. For example, a note written on a piece of paper or saved to a computer's hard drive is automatically protected by copyright.
Registering a work with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and using the copyright symbol © are not necessary for works to be protected by copyright (although it is highly encouraged).
In Canada, most works are protected by copyright for the life of the creator + 50 years (the 'life+50' rule).
The public domain refers to works that have no copyright, either because copyright has expired or the copyright owner purposely published the work directly in the public domain.
Public domain resources can be used by anyone, for any purpose, without needing to obtain permission.
Infringement occurs when someone who is not the copyright owner uses a copyright protected work in a way only the copyright owner is entitled to do, and does so without permission from the copyright owner.
Civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for copyright infringement.
Individuals at Douglas College are responsible for their own copyright use and ensuring they do not infringe other's copyright.
In Canada, most copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years (the 'life+70' rule). For example, if an author dies February 4th, 1962, their work enters the public domain on December 31, 2012. Because of the 2022 change to Public Domain in Canada from 50 to 70 years after the death of the author, no new works will enter the Public Domain until 2043.
For sound recordings, lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years ('life+70').
Copyright in Canada is a bundle of rights, some of which belong to the owner and some to the user. The bundle of rights balances the rights of copyright holders with the needs of copyright users.
User's rights include Educational exceptions in the Copyright Act, that allow the use of copyright protected works for specific circumstances without payment or permission from the copyright owner.
Yes. If the work is in the public domain or covered by an open license (ex. Creative Commons), then it is possible to use someone elses work without permission and not infringe their copy rights.
You may also use user's rights in the Copyright Act. User's rights allow the reuse of other's works in particular situations, without payment or permission from the copyright holder.
If the above two situations do not apply, you need to obtain permission to use the work.
Douglas College Library resources are subject to license agreements that take precedent over copyright law.
The library subscribes to a wide range of electronic resources, including online journals, e-books, and streaming films. These resources are purchased or leased under license agreements (contracts) with publishers and other content providers. The terms of these agreements can vary widely.
See Licensed materials for more information.
The Douglas College community is responsible for acquiring their own copyright permissions. For help with the process, please contact copyright@douglascollege.ca.
Anytime you use someone's work, whether all of the work or a portion of the work, you have to ask yourself if another copy is being made. If another copy is made, it could be violating copyright.
Examples of creating an additional copy of a resource include:
All of the above actions could violate someone's copy rights if done without permission from the copyright owner or under a user's right in the Copyright Act.
There are three moral rights that protect the reputation of a creator and the integrity of a work:
Moral rights can be waived but cannot be assigned or licensed to others. Once moral rights are waived they cannot be reinstated.
According to Article 5 in the Common Agreement and the Collective Agreement Letter of Understanding #5, Douglas College faculty own the copyright to works prepared or created as part of assigned duties, including:
The employer (Douglas College) owns copyright where one or more employees:
All works created in the following ways are owned by the College, unless otherwise agreed in writing the College:
Staff are encouraged to discuss with the College President before beginning work in which they desire to own copyright, such as collaborating in the authorship of textbooks or other educational materials in their own fields.
Students own the copyright on works they create (including assignments they submit to faculty for evaluation.) Students have the right to approve the reproduction and distribution of their work. Faculty must obtain a student's permission to
The information in this resource should not be considered legal advice. The purpose of this guide is to provide Douglas College students and faculty with general information about copyright.
Text for many of the FAQs was adapted from the University of British Columbia's Copyright FAQs, which were originally adapted from Waterloo Copyright FAQ by the University of Waterloo, licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.5 CA License and University of Saskatchewan Copyright by the University of Saskatchewan, licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 License. UBC's FAQs are licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 License with permission from the University of Saskatchewan.