Applying copyright in times of online teaching
Due to the coronavirus situation several measures have been taken. We are all working from home as much as possible. Teaching staff are busy to facilitate online classes and other digital learning materials for their students. How can teachers best apply copyright under the changed circumstances?
During a lecture in a class room a teacher will often use a (Powerpoint) presentation. This may include the use of externally imported materials that are copyright protected, such as photographs, images, schedules, graphs, etc. These materials may originate from the Internet or can be extracted from a book or journal. On top of this, links to online video channels, (such as YouTube) are used to direct students to film and video for further illustration and clarification.
All reuse of teaching materials that is allowed in a classroom lecture can also be applied to online live teaching; conditions are explained on a dedicated webpage. Captured lectures have for a long time been implemented on BlackBoard and BrightSpace for students who could not be present, and also for students with special needs who depend on online lectures.
Is there anything that is not allowed in captured online lectures that can be done in both class room based lectures and live online lectures? Yes, in principle any use of material that is copyrighted and for which a teacher does not have permission from the copyright owner. Such as showing a film or a video from YouTube. What should a teacher do, if they have made a recording of the lecture? Remove the film or video from the recording and replace it, if possible, with a link where the video or film can be found. The video and web lecture coordinators will be able to offer assistance.
Last but not least, teachers usually put educational materials such as journal articles and book chapters on BlackBoard and BrightSpace. This use is covered by the Easy Access Agreement but costs may be involved. We are now expecting an increase in the use of BlackBoard and BrightSpace as part of the current move to online teaching and assessment. However, we would like to urge teachers to look for alternatives that are free of charge such as Open Access publications and digital course reserves. As Leiden University Libraries are closed to students, there is no option for physical course reserves: course reserves are currently limited to digital materials only.
We realise that this new way of presenting your courses calls for support, which we are happy to offer.
- For help with an online course reserve, you may contact your Library desk by email;
- For help with online course design, the University offers Remote Teaching Support;
- For help with Copyright Law, you can consult our Copyright Information Office.
Editor's note: this blog was updated on 11 February 2025 to repair or remove broken links and to clarify content.
