Faculty Copyright Resources

Getting Started

Instructors may make course materials available to students through one of these methods:


Digital Course Resources

These include:

  • works that are scanned to create an electronic document
  • downloaded files provided through the Trent Library  (e.g. databases, e-journals, and e-books)

Except where you are only providing a link to the work, you must submit a Copyright Digitization Form, prior to making digital course resources available online.
 

Process for Placing Digital Course Resources in Blackboard

Option 1: Post a link to a digital resource accessed through Trent Library.

  1. Check the Terms of Use associated with the Work you wish to post in Blackboard, to make sure linking or reproducing the Work is allowed under the terms of the license. Use the License Information Database (see the left menu) for this.
  2. If the Terms of Use allow, proceed to post the link(s) in Blackboard. If linking is NOT allowed, complete a Copyright Digitization Form (link in left menu).

Option 2: We do the work for you, but it may take longer.

  1. Complete a Copyright Digitization Form (link in left menu).
  2. Wait until you receive clearance from the Copyright Office before posting the Work in Blackboard. This may take 1-2 weeks, but may be longer during busier periods.

Option 3:  Use this option if you're in a hurry and confident that it fits the criteria.

  1. Complete a Copyright Digitization Form (link in left menu).
  2. Use the License Information Database (see left menu) to check the Terms of Use associated with the work you wish to post in Blackboard, to ensure linking or reproducing the work is allowed under the terms of the license.
  3. If the Work is acquired outside of Trent or the Library you must use the Access Copyright Repertoire Look-up Tool (see left menu) to determine if the work belongs within the Access Copyright Repertoire:
    a) If the Work belongs in the Access Copyright Repertoire you must wait for permission from the Copyright Office before you post the Work.
    b) If the Work does not belong in Access Copyright's Repertoire, proceed to step 4.
  4. Check the Fair Dealing Guidelines:
    a) If copying the Work does not meet the Fair Dealing Guidelines you must wait for permission from the Copyright Office before you post the Work.
    b) If the Work meets the Fair Dealing Guidelines, proceed to step 5.
  5. You may post the Work in Blackboard for the required term(s). The Copyright Office will still check your request and notify you of any permission issues. You may be required to subsequently remove material if there are issues.

Reminders

When planning to include digital course resources as part of your course materials, keep in mind:

  • If you are providing a link to resources accessed through the Trent Library, check the Terms of Use in the License Information Database (see the left menu) before posting the link. A few of our providers do not permit this. 
  • If you are scanning a document, or portion of a Work, you must fill out a Copyright Digitization Form prior to placing digital course resources in Blackboard.
  • Material received via Interlibrary Loan may not be reproduced and placed in Blackboard, unless specifically indicated in the Terms of Use attached to the Work.
  • When showing a film in class, the film can be a personal copy, but it must be an original version. An illegal copy cannot be shown in class.

The Copyright Digitization Form should also be used when reproducing, communicating, displaying or performing part of a Work that does not fall within the Fair Dealing Exception, or one of the other exceptions in the Copyright Act.