Copyright FAQS

This is a brief overview of common questions. For more infomation please contact the University Copyright Officer.

 

Books

How much can I copy from a book?
No more than one chapter or 10%

Can I put the one chapter or 10% I have copied in Blackboard?
No. No more than one chapter or 10% of a book may be posted online at the same time across the entire University. The University must also provide a central register of this material. To manage this process it is a requirement that all material copied from books is managed via Short Loans.

I want my students to read a chapter from a book urgently and I don’t have time to put it into Short Loans. What should I do?
Always check Newcat first. The book may be available electronically, or another lecturer may have requested that the chapter is put into Short Loans already.

Contact Short Loans. They will be able to advise how long the item will take to process. It may be quicker than you think.

You may also hand out copies of the chapter in tutorials provided you do not hand out more than one chapter or 10% from a book in any one course during the one semester.

What if the “book” is a play or a script?
Plays are literary works and treated the same as books for the purpose of copyright

Can I copy a whole music score?
Music scores are literary works and treated the same as books for the purpose of copyright. So you may only copy 10% of a score.

Journal articles

How much of a journal article can I copy?
You may copy an entire article.

Can I copy more than one article from the same issue of a journal?
You may only copy more than one article from a single issue of a journal if the articles are on the same subject matter.

Can I copy an entire issue of a journal from  for example the journal  Biology because all the articles are about Biology?
No. To be permitted to copy more than one article the articles must be about  the same specific subject, not a general subject area.

Can I copy an article from a print journal and post it in Blackboard?
No. No more than one copy of the article may be posted online at the same time across the entire University. The University must also provide a central register of this material. To manage this process it is a requirement that journal articles are handled via Short Loans.

Can I scan a copy of an article from a database and post this in Blackboard?
In most cases the answer is no, but it will depend on the licence agreement the University has with the particular database publishers. We recommend that you get Short Loans to manage this process for you.

General

What is an artwork for the purposes of copyright?
Artworks include maps, diagrams, charts, drawings, paintings, cartoons, prints, engravings, photographs, illustrations.

What if I wrote the book or the article or created the artwork? Doesn’t this mean I can do what I like with it?
Not necessarily. If the item has been published, copyright may now belong to your publisher. Check your publishing contract or contact your publisher to find out what your rights are.

Can I use whatever I want from the internet?
No. Copyright law doesn't change because something is available on the Internet. You are subejct to the same restrictions as in other forms.  If someone posts something on the Internet that they are happy for you to use then they will usually make it clear on the page that other people have a licence to use it.. You are also not permitted to put something on the Internet when you do not own the copyright.

Film

Can I show a DVD in  a lecture?
Yes.

Can I show a Youtube clip in a lecture?
Yes, You may show Youtube clips and other material from the Internet in lectures. You may do this by streaming from the website. You are not permitted to mak copies without permission from the Copyright owner.