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Copyright for Students

FAQ for Students

Explore Copyright for Students FAQ below.

 

Don't see what you're looking for? Contact the Copyright Office


 

What can I legally copy?

There are exceptions in the Copyright Act, known as 'user's rights', which allow users to use copyright-protected works without payment or permission from the copyright owner, as long as certain parameters are met. 

If you are copying a work for educational purposes, you may use fair dealing and educational exceptions. If the use is not for education, there are general exception that any user can follow.

Visit the pages for each type of exception to learn more:

 


 

Is there a limit to how much I can copy?

Yes. Depending on the exception in the Copyright Act you are using, there may be limits to how much you can copy. See the above FAQ 'What can I legally copy?' for more information. 


 

Can I copy another person's images to include in my assignments and presentations?

Yes. Students can include copyright-protected content in their assignments and presentations under fair dealing and educational exceptions in the Copyright Act

Fair dealing permits use of short excerpts from copyright-protected works for specific purposes without payment or permission from the copyright owner. In general, students can use one image from a collection of images (e.g. a gallery of online images, a book of photography) for the purposes of education, research, and private study.

If your use exceeds limits outlined in Langara's fair dealing directives, seek permission from the copyright owner or contact us for assistance.

Fore more information on fair dealing and educational exceptions, visit the following pages: 

There are also resources that can be used with fewer restrictions compared to traditional, copyright-protected works. For more information, visit the Alternatives to Copyright page:


 

I belong to a club on campus and we want to show a film. Do we need permission?

It depends. An educational exception in the Copyright Act allows members of the Langara community (students, staff, and faculty) to show DVDs and videos on campus without Public Performance Rights or permission from the copyright owner, provided:

  • The performance is for educational or training purposes   
  • The performance is not for profit
  • The audience consists primarily of Langara students, staff, and faculty
  • The copy is legally acquired

Public performance of a feature film at Langara for non-educational purposes (i.e. fundraisers, club activities) may be possible if the rights were purchased by Langara or negotiated for the specific use. To find out if a particular film is covered by a license, please contact us.

For personal services such as Netflix, you agree to specific terms of use when you sign-up. Consult these to see what uses are permitted.

Copyright Act, Section 29.5(d)

Note: The Student Union Building is a separate organization from Langara College and is not included in College licenses.

 


 

As a Langara student, is my work protected by copyright? 

Yes. Your works are automatically protected by copyright as soon as they are fixed in print or digital formal. 

Langara's Intellectual Property Policy (B3006) states Langara students own copyright in the works they create during the course of their studies. 

Copyright owners have the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, adapt, and perform their works. So, if your department or program would like to use your work for marketing purposes, your permission is required.

Reference: Langara College, Intellectual Property Policy (B3006; section 3.8).


 

Can I use another person's work to create a new work? 

Yes. A person may use an existing publicly available work in the creation of a new work (i.e. a mashup or remix) without payment or permission from the copyright owner, provided:

  • The source of the existing work is given where reasonable
  • The existing work was legally acquired
  • The new work is for non-commercial purposes
  • The new work does not have a substantial adverse effect (financial or otherwise) on a current or potential market for the existing work

Copyright Act, Section 29.21


 

Still have questions? Contact the Copyright Office

Contact us

General Queries:

copyright@langara.ca


The information obtained from or through this website is provided as guidelines for using works for educational purposes and is not intended to constitute legal advice.

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Langara's copyright website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.