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Copyright

Guide to Canadian Copyright and ECU policies on Copyright

Questions?

For copyright questions contact
Vanessa Kam, Interim University Librarian
copyright@ecuad.ca

DISCLAIMER

This guide is intended to assist faculty, staff, and students in the proper use of resources that are protected under copyright law in Canada.

Any information obtained from or through this guide are guidelines for using works for educational purposes and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The Interim University Librarian who administers copyright at Emily Carr University, is not a lawyer or legal expert in copyright law and is able to provide a professional and not a legal opinion. A professional opinion is offered for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice.

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Welcome

Welcome to the Emily Cary University of Art + Design Copyright Guide. This guide will help you understand copyright as it applies to the Canadian post-secondary context in general, and Emily Carr University in particular. It will also outline Emily Carr University's copyright guidelines and procedures.

A digital drawing with a pale green background with purple text reads "Copyright: ethically sharing work in a post-secondary context." It shows an image of a house on a field, and below it two black arrows point to two smaller versions of the same image. A digital drawing with a pale green green background and purple tent reads "Almost any kind of work can be protected under copyright law: text, music, video, images." Under each word listed, there are respective images of a book, a CD, a VHS tape, and a house on a grassy field. Use this guide to learn more about copyright law and resources

Images by Keimi Nakashima-Ochoa, CC BY-NC-SA

Introduction to Copyright

Copyright law protects a variety of creations, including books, computer programs, letters, maps, models, sculptures, music and film.  It gives copyright owners - usually authors or publishers - the sole right to copy or to authorize someone else to copy their works. It is essential that you are aware of copyright as it applies to teaching and research at Emily Carr University.

Fair dealing balances the rights of copyright owners with the needs of users, such as students and researchers, who require access to copyrighted material for the purposes of research, private study, education, satire, parody, criticism, review or news reporting.

In addition to fair dealing and library licensed resources, you may also use resources that are open access, in the public domain, or licensed under Creative Commons.

Formats covered by copyright include:

  • literary works such as books, pamphlets, computer programs and other works consisting of text, including content from websites
  • dramatic works such as motion picture films, plays, screenplays and scripts
  • musical works such as compositions with or without words
  • artistic works such as paintings, drawings, maps, photographs, sculptures and plans

Selected Copyright Resources

 library@ecuad.ca       604-844-3840        520 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC