Skip to Main Content

Copyrighted Material in Canvas Faculty Guide

Guidance and information on the use of copyrighted materials in Canvas.

Click for larger image. Transcription on following slide.

 

Using Copyrighted Material in Canvas

  • Internet content (YouTube video, blog post, website). DO THIS: Link to the original website and include a citation, and you're done!
  • Open access (from an open journal, in an open repository, government report). DO THIS: Use the permalink or upload PDF and include a citation, and you're done!
  • Library databases* (article, ebook, conference paper). DO THIS: Find in the Library catalog, use the Share link and include a citation, and you're done! *Note: Harvard Business Review (HBR) case studies are only available through use of an HBR coursepack.
  • Everything else (not held by the Library, original source unknown, other questions). DO THIS: Get in touch with a librarian!

Image by Vicky Ludas Orlofsky (vorlofsk@stevens.edu), 2021.

Allowed Usage

While using copyrighted material in a course is case-by-case, here is a list of circumstances in which instructional materials may be posted to a learning management system or a course website.

  • THE AUTHOR GIVES PERMISSION

    • The faculty member is the owner of the copyright in the material, or

    • The copyright owner of the material grants permission.

  • MATERIAL IS LICENSED FOR REUSE
  • LIBRARY BEST PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED

    • The material is made available by linking to it rather than copying.

Please Note

All materials linked or uploaded to the learning management system, regardless of medium or format, should include proper citation and attribution, and copyright notices where applicable.

Adapted from Using Electronic Resources (Columbia University Libraries), used under a CC BY/NC license from Copyright Advisory Services of Columbia University.

Copyrighted Works in an LMS: What's Allowed & How

Posting an item to the learning management system (LMS) does not exempt an instructor from copyright regulations. 

Please note: All materials linked or uploaded to the learning management system, regardless of medium or format, should include proper citation and attribution, and copyright notices where applicable.

 

The following guidelines are based on Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians (U.S. Copyright Office) and Library guidance.

Item Source

 Item

Allowed

Not Allowed

Library databases

 
Article or ebook from a library database
Direct linking to the catalog record of the article/ebook allowed

For more info: 
Articles & Ebooks from Library Databases
Copying and pasting the article into the LMS;
Downloading a PDF from the database and uploading that to the LMS

Interlibrary Loan
Article, book, book chapter, or DVD obtained through interlibrary loan or otherwise borrowed from another library
Article: Permission must be obtained
Permission denied or not obtained
Book/book chapter: not allowed for instructional use in an LMS

Scanned from the print
Scanned article from a journal, trade publication, or magazine
A single article for one semester
Multiple articles from the same publication or repeated use over multiple semesters
Scanned chapter from a book
5% of the total work if in-print; 10% of the total work if out-of-print; allowed for one semester
More than the allotted percentages or repeated use over multiple semesters
Scanned copyrighted image
Must be educational in nature; display in the LMS for one semester including attribution
Repeated use over multiple semesters

Internet content (text or audiovisual)
Web site containing copyrighted material
Link to the Web site via the LMS

For more info: 
YouTube & Other Internet Content
Copying and pasting the information into the LMS 
Copyrighted image from the internet
Must be educational in nature; display in the LMS for one semester including attribution
OR
Find one in the public domain to use without restriction
Repeated use over multiple semesters

Audio 
Audio files
No more than thirty seconds without permission
Repeated use over multiple semesters

Video
Video files
10% or three minutes, whichever is less
Repeated use over multiple semesters

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted from CMS / LMS Copyright (Chatham University).

DISCLAIMER

Posting an item to Canvas for educational purposes does not exempt an instructor from copyright regulations. The information presented here provides guidance but should not be considered legal advice. 

Questions?

Please email library@stevens.edu to consult with a librarian for guidance on the use of copyrighted course materials.
For all Canvas-related questions, please email support@stevens.edu to create a support ticket.