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Copyright at Conestoga
Conestoga facilitates access to print, media, and electronic resources to support and enrich learning, teaching, and research in compliance with the following:
All copying, selling, or distribution of print (books, articles, periodicals), media, or electronic resources in which copyright subsists shall comply with the guidelines/limits provided in the documents above, as well as other relevant federal and provincial laws and/or regulations and all applicable College policies.
Conestoga respects the rights of copyright owners and shall not deliberately copy, sell, distribute, or use any print or electronic materials, without explicit permission from the copyright owner, or in compliance with one of the aforementioned guiding documents.
You may also find Guidelines for the Use of Copyrighted Material, compiled by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), helpful in determining how you can utilize copyright-protected material.
Fair Dealing
The “Fair Dealing Exception” in the Copyright Act allows a person to copy, without permission, a short excerpt from a copyrighted work for the purposes of research, private study, education, satire, parody, criticism, review, or news reporting. In addition, the work must be treated fairly. Please see Fair Dealing at Conestoga to learn more about Fair Dealing.
Copyright Education
Copyright EducationBelow is a list of the different copyright educational opportunities offered at Conestoga. Choose the one that best suits your learning style and schedule.
Copyright Literacy for Ontario College Employees
- A self-directed online course on eConestoga, consisting of short videos and quizzes on copyright topics, such as the rights of the copyright owners and users of copyright material.
Copyright Workshops
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Workshops are designed to expand your understanding of copyright and highlight resources available from the library.
Individual Consultations
- Do you need help understanding copyright or locating up-to-date resources for your course? Request a meeting: copyright@conestogac.on.ca.
Virtual Lessons
If you have questions about copyright and virtual lessons, please email copyright@conestogac.on.ca. For additional help, please consult our Teaching with Zoom Q&A document:
Recent Court Case
On July 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released its judgment in York University v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright), ruling that:
- The Access Copyright tariff is not mandatory. This is a major victory for York University, as well as all colleges and universities across Canada.
- Since the tariff is not compulsory, the Court also determined that they did not need to provide a judgment on York’s Fair Dealing Guidelines. However, the Judges pointed out errors that the lower courts made when they determined that York’s guidelines did not accurately represent fair dealing.
For a detailed history of the case between Access Copyright and York University and a thoughtful analysis of the recent Supreme Court judgment, please read:
- Victory and Vindication from Justice Abella and the Supreme Court of Canada for Canadian Educators by Howard Knopf.
- Copyright Vindication: Supreme Court Confirms Access Copyright Tariff Not Mandatory, Lower Court Fair Dealing Analysis Was “Tainted” by Michael Geist
Copyright Blogs
- Michael Geist is a Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa and writes about legal issues related to technology on his blog and for the Toronto Star
- Howard Knopf is lawyer specializing in copyright and is the Chairman of the Copyright Policy Committee of the Canadian Bar Association