Library Services During COVID-19 Period: Copyright & COVID-19

Resources about copyright and fair dealing/use during the COVID-19 crisis

Mount Allison resources

Library Guide: Copyright Information

Mount Allison University Copyright -Fair Dealing Policy # 5320

Mount Allison University Copyright FAQ

Canadian focus

Fair Dealing and Emergency Remote Teaching in Canada - Sam Trosow & Lisa Macklem

• See below for a brief summary of Trosow & Macklem's analysis

CARL Statement on Optimal Equitable Access to Post-Secondary Learning Resources During COVID-19

American

Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists

A Simple Guide to Fair Use

United Kingdom

Copyright in a Time of Crisis (webinar recording)

An analysis of Canadian fair dealing and COVID-19

Sam Trosow, associate professor of Law and Information Science at Western University, and Lisa Macklem have posted an analysis of Canadian fair dealing in these exceptional COVID-19 circumstances. 

The analysis concludes that, "the circumstances of the current emergency justify a broad construction of fair-dealing," and the authors, "...encourage everyone involved in the redesign of course materials to make full use of the flexibility that is afforded by fair dealing."

There are a few general principles that should be followed:

1. Post to a course management system (Moodle) to limit access to currently enrolled students
2. Link to materials that are already licensed, such as the library's e-resources, wherever possible
3. Use materials in the public domain wherever possible
4. Please consult Mount Allison University Policy 5320 and the MTA Copyright FAQ for general guidelines on copyright and fair dealing on campus

A use can be considered fair as long as it only reproduces the amount that is necessary to serve the purpose for which the copy is being made. "...in many situations, it is not feasible to use less than the entirety of a work, for example, an article or a photograph. In others, such as an entire book, percentage guidelines are appropriate as a general rule of thumb." There is no mechanical application of the rule, such as 10% or 1 chapter, but the amount copied has to be reasonable in relation to the purpose of the copying.

Mount Allison Librarians are available to assist with identifying suitable licensed or public domain resources for use in course delivery.