Licence Universitaire

University Licence-FAQ

Why get a copying licence from Copibec?

With a copying licence issued by Copibec, you benefit from a simple, legal framework for making copies of excerpts from copyright protected material. The licence ensures that authors and publishers receive fair compensation for the use of their works so they can continue to create quality content.

What is Get It Now?

Developed by the U.S. Copyright Clearance Center, Get It Now is an online platform that Copibec is now making available to CEGEP and university libraries. It gives you immediate access to content from well-known publishers and lets you order articles easily. Individual periodical articles can be ordered at reasonable prices from a catalogue of millions of articles offered by a variety of publishers from all over the world. The platform includes a dashboard that helps librarians monitor purchase volumes and generate real-time reports. In the U.S., Get It Now is already being used by about 300 postsecondary institutions.

What is the “public domain”?

In Canada, at the end of the 50th year following the death of the author (or the last remaining contributor for a collaborative work), the copyright for that work usually expires. The work is then said to be in the public domain and may be copied without permission. Copyright protection applies to works published in Canada or elsewhere.

For a translated work, the copyright does not expire until the translator has also been deceased for more than 50 years. For example, a recent translation into French of a work by Shakespeare will be protected by copyright and may require permission in order for copies to be made. The same principle would apply to an adapted work.

The publication date is not taken into consideration. For instance, even if a work was published 60 years ago, it will still be protected by copyright as long as its author has not been deceased for at least 50 years. Permission may therefore be needed to copy excerpts from that work.

Can an entire book be copied if it’s now out of print?

No. Permission must be obtained before copying an entire book even if it is no longer commercially available for purchase. Please contact us for details.

However, you are allowed to copy an entire book if it is in the public domain.

Can an entire play be copied?

No. Permission must be obtained before copying an entire dramatic work (play). Please contact us for details.

However, the copying licence from Copibec authorizes you to copy a play as long as it is part of another work (e.g. an anthology of plays), its length does not exceed the licence’s limits and it is not on the Exclusions List.

The Adel inc. virtual bookstore of the Association québécoise des auteurs dramatiques (AQAD) also offers plays that can be purchased. Those plays can be copied in their entirety if the applicable royalties (licence fees) are paid.

In addition, an entire play can be copied if it is in the public domain.

Can government publications be copied?

The legislation, regulations and court rulings of the federal government and any province or territory except Quebec, Manitoba and Nunavut can be copied for educational purposes.

The federal government and the provinces and territories other than Quebec, Manitoba and Nunavut frequently authorize the copying of other types of government publications as well. To determine whether copying is allowed, refer to the conditions of use for each work or contact the relevant government’s publications department.

The copying licence from Copibec gives you permission to copy publications from Quebec government ministries or Publications du Québec unless a notice on the work already authorizes copying for educational purposes.

Do we always have to indicate the document source or bibliographic references?

Yes. Bibliographic references must always appear on the copies distributed to students and on the copies retained by teaching personnel.

Which information has to be included in a bibliographic reference?

A complete bibliographic reference consists of the following:

  • Author’s name
  • Title of the work
  • Publisher
  • Publication place and year
  • Page numbers copied

Does the Copibec licence allow us to produce coursepacks?

The Copibec licence allows you to produce coursepacks containing excerpts that do not exceed the authorized copying limits. You have to report the copies to Copibec (whether they are in print or digital format), as required under the licence.

A digital format coursepack refers to all copies on electronic media sent by email, accessible from a link or hyperlink, or sent or downloaded to or stored on a secure network. The concept of assembling or binding applies only to print format coursepacks, not digital format coursepacks. You have to report all digital format copies to Copibec.

Can song lyrics be copied without permission?

No. Song lyrics are protected under the Copyright Act. However, the Copibec licence allows you to copy song lyrics from a print format source (liner notes accompanying a sound recording) or a legal digital source (author’s website or a website authorized by the author).

Is it legal to photocopy a document from a website if it will be used by our students?

Authors’ works in digital format (including Web content) benefit from the same rights and protections as they do in print format. Educators must therefore carefully examine the terms of use for the website and the work before making copies for educational purposes and must make sure that:

  • the work has been made available with the copyright owner’s consent (it is preferable to consult the websites of authors and publishers or official sites and avoid file sharing sites)
  • there is no clearly visible notice prohibiting the use of the work or a technological measure that limits access to the work.

The document source and bibliographic references must be indicated.

If you are not sure whether copying is allowed, please contact Copibec or the copyright owner to request permission.

However, the Copibec licence authorizes works to be copied as long as they have been made available to the public with the copyright owner’s consent, they were published in the print or digital version of a book, newspaper, magazine or periodical and they do not appear on the Exclusions List.

Is it legal to display the content of a website on a smartboard in class?

Authors’ works in digital format (including Web content) benefit from the same rights and protections as they do in print format. Educators must therefore carefully examine the terms of use for the website and the work before displaying it for educational purposes and must make sure that:

  • the work has been made available with the copyright owner’s consent (it is preferable to consult the websites of authors and publishers or official sites and avoid file sharing sites)
  • there is no clearly visible notice prohibiting the use of the work or a technological measure that limits access to the work.

The document source and bibliographic references must be indicated.

If you are not sure whether copying is allowed, please contact Copibec or the copyright owner to request permission.

The Copibec licence also authorizes works to be displayed as long as they have been made available to the public with the copyright owner’s consent, they were published in the print or digital version of a book, newspaper, magazine, periodical or the liner notes accompanying a musical work and they do not appear on the Exclusions List.

What is “digitization”?

Digitizing means scanning a work so that it can be used, for example, in a PowerPoint presentation or PDF file, on a smartboard or intranet page or sent by email.

Can we display digital material on a smartboard?

The Copibec licence allows you to display a reproduction on a smartboard in the institution’s premises for educational purposes as long as:

  • the copied work is not commercially available for purchase in Canada; and
  • that excerpt complies with the authorized limits and conditions.

Any copies made under the licence must be reported to Copibec.

In addition, under an exception in the Copyright Act, material can be displayed on a smartboard only if the work is not commercially available for purchase. In all cases, if the work is commercially available, it must be purchased.

Do we have to respect the same limits for digital format copies as for print format copies?

Yes. The Copibec licence describes the terms and conditions under which print or digital format copies can be made and used.

Is the Exclusions List the same for print and digital format copying?

No. Certain publishers’ titles and certain works can be photocopied but cannot be digitized. If a publisher or title appears on the Exclusions List for digital format copying, you have to submit a request to Copibec before making a digital format copy. Copibec will forward the request to the copyright owner and, if permission is granted, a fee will be set for the pages that you want to copy.

Can book covers be digitized for use in the library’s database?

No. The Copibec licence applies to copies used in the classroom for a given period (school year, semester). It does not allow copying in order to compile databases.

Can a work in the public domain be digitized?

Yes. If the work is in the public domain, permission is not needed to copy it. For more information, refer to the answer to What is the “public domain”?

Do digital format copies have to be reported to Copibec?

Yes. You have to report all digital format copies under the Copibec licence. Here are some examples of digital format copying:

  • Scan a print format work to make a digital copy
  • Email a digital copy or store it on a secure network accessible to students in a course
  • Give students a digital copy of a coursepack used for a course
  • Store a digital copy of an excerpt from a work on a local device or media such as a CD-ROM or USB flash drive
  • Display a digital format copy in class
  • Display a digital format copy on a computer or other device
  • Display a link or hyperlink that opens a digital format copy

Why do our copies have to be reported to Copibec?

Royalties (licence fees) are paid to Copibec as compensation for allowing you to use excerpts from works. In order for the royalties to be subsequently redistributed to the authors and publishers of the works used, Copibec needs to know which works were copied.

You therefore have an essential role to play so the royalties can be paid to the people whose works were actually used. Copies can be reported to Copibec by using Savia, our online copyright licensing and rights management system.

Can we give our students a link or hyperlink that directs them to material available on the Web?

Under the university copying licence, if a link or hyperlink leads to a work covered by the licence, the work must be reported to Copibec. It is important to indicate the work’s bibliographic references, not only the URL of the page containing the work.

It is not necessary to report a work accessible on the Web from a link or hyperlink if that work:

  • is in the public domain
  • appears on the Copibec Exclusions List
  • is covered by a licence other than the Copibec licence and that licence authorizes the intended use (e.g. subscription to a database of articles that allows certain uses such as distribution to students)
  • is available free from a website open to the public and there is no clearly visible notice prohibiting the use of the work or there is no technological measure limiting access to it.

How many copies of the same excerpt can be made?

The Copibec licence allows a sufficient number of copies to be made so that the instructor and every student in the same group can have a copy.

How many different books can be copied?

You have to respect the limits in the Copibec licence for every book excerpt copied but there is no maximum number of books that can be copied.

What is a “perceptual disability”?

The definition of a perceptual disability in the Copyright Act encompasses various physical and learning disabilities. In particular, the Act refers to severe or total impairment of sight or hearing, the inability to hold or manipulate a book, and an impairment relating to comprehension.

For example, dysphasia, dyslexia and pervasive development disorders are considered perceptual disabilities.

Is it possible to adapt material for students with perceptual disabilities?

The Copyright Act requires material to be purchased if it is commercially available in an appropriate format. To obtain a digital copy compatible with assistive software, you can submit a request to Copibec. We have agreements with certain publishers so your request can be processed quickly. Please contact us.

How did Bill C-11 affect copyright?

For an overview of the main changes affecting the education sector, please refer to the reference document prepared by Copibec.

What is “fair dealing”?

The Copyright Act contains an exception that allows fair dealing for the purpose of research, private study, education, parody or satire. This means that a work can be copied for educational purposes without permission from or compensation for the copyright owner but only if the fair dealing exception applies.

Determining what is fair dealing requires a case-by-case analysis. In general, it refers to a short excerpt from a work used for one of the purposes designated in the Act. However, neither the Copyright Act nor the courts have specified a percentage or number of pages that can be copied under the fair dealing exception.

As a result, even though fair dealing for educational purposes is sometimes interpreted as meaning up to 10% of a work or an entire chapter, that interpretation is not founded on the wording of the Act or any ruling by Canadian courts.

Thanks to the Copibec licence, educational institutions and teaching personnel can make copies without having to do a case-by-case analysis. The licence therefore simplifies copyright management when copyright protected material is used, reduces the related costs and helps ensure that the institutions can operate smoothly while providing fair compensation to copyright owners.

Our educational institution allows courses to be taken remotely. Are there any exceptions for distance learning?

The Copyright Act contains an exception that allows works to be copied for distance learning purposes under certain circumstances.

In particular, the exception allows an educational institution to film a lesson during which a work is used in compliance with an exception in the Copyright Act and then make that film available for distance learning purposes by students enrolled in the course. The excerpt from the work must be included in the filmed lesson and not attached as a separate file.

Example:
During a lesson filmed in the educational institution’s premises, an instructor uses a smartboard to display an excerpt from a work to students in class (i.e. the exception for smartboards). The filmed lesson is made available online through the institution’s intranet for distance learning students who are enrolled in the instructor’s course.

It is important to understand the following:

  • This exception does not apply to coursepacks distributed to students.
  • This exception applies only if the use of the work in the lesson is allowed under another exception in the Copyright Act. It is therefore not possible to take advantage of the distance learning exception in order to film a lesson in which works are used with the copyright owner’s permission. In that case, you have to request permission from the copyright owner to film the works and transmit them.
  • The educational institution has to comply with all the conditions of the exception, especially those concerning measures to prevent transmission to other persons or those requiring the copy of the lesson to be deleted within 30 days of the final course evaluations (the students are also required to delete their copies within 30 days). However, the Copibec licence allows universities to keep a copy of lessons for the duration of the licence’s term.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.