Trent University Library and Archives

Copyright at Trent

Copyright guidance for Trent faculty, students and staff

Video and Other Performances

In general, you may share and display videos for educational purposes, on the premises of Trent University or in the Blackboard LMS, for an audience consisting primarily of students enrolled in a course, if the following conditions are met:

  • The material is a legally obtained copy and/or has been legally posted online by the copyright holder
  • Any recording of the class is paused while the video is displayed
  • There are no clearly visible restrictions on sharing the audiovisual material (eg. License Agreement or Terms of Use)
  • You do not circumvent any digital rights protection measures or digital locks

Video Sharing Sites: YouTube, Vimeo

By nature of the platform, videos posted publicly on YouTube and Vimeo, are intended to be shared.

Provided that the content has been legally uploaded by the copyright holder,

You may:

  • Post a link to the video in your course materials
  • Embed via a video player in Blackboard LMS
  • Present a video in a classroom or in a synchronous virtual class setting

Personal Subscription Streaming Services: Apple TV, Disney +, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Prime Video

Personal streaming services (like Netflix) and/or films under a digital lock are generally not permitted to be used in the classroom. For example, teaching a cultural studies course on the cultural impact of Star Wars does not entitle an instructor to use their Disney + subscription to show Star Wars movies in class.  There may be some exceptions, such as a limited number of documentaries on Netflix available under a special education license.

Physical video recordings

You may:

  • Play a video that has been legally acquired (purchased, rented, licensed)
  • Play a video for educational purposes in a classroom setting for an audience consisting primarily of students enrolled in the course.
  • Play a video if no digital locks (DRM) are broken or violated

Without the permission of the copyright holder, you may NOT:

  • Play a video for entertainment purposes
  • Digitize or record or make a copy of the video

Before using make sure of the following:

  • That any recording of the class is paused while video is being played
  • That the title, author, source and licence (if applicable) of the video is included in the teaching materials

Trent University Library subscribes to streaming video services. To see a listing go to Find A Database page and then limit Types to Video.

You can also 'limit' in Omni your search results by the Resource Type Videos.

These streaming video services differ from YouTube, Netflix (personal online streaming), or personal legally obtained DVDs in important ways:

  • The Library often purchases and/or subscribes to content from streaming services that specifically serve the academic market for reseach and educational purposes.
  • These licenses often have restrictions, such as student groups not being permitted to use them for entertainment and movie nights.
  • Licenses are unique to each vendor the Library uses, so if you have any questions about proper uses contact copyright@trentu.ca

 

Planning a screening of a cinematographic work on campus? If so, it is your responsibility to make sure that your showing is compliant with Canadian copyright law. Generally speaking, where a movie, television program, or other audiovisual material is shown in a public setting on campus – even in a classroom – a licence will be required unless the showing is for education and training purposes (or, where fair dealing may apply, for other allowable purposes). If the showing is for educational and training purposes, it may be subject to one of the following exceptions in the Copyright Act, provided that other specific statutory requirements are met:

Student Group Requests

Student groups planning film screening events on campus are required to ensure that film use complies with copyright law and vendor license terms. Student groups should contact the Library and the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) with such requests. No less than five business days (Monday to Friday) prior to an event, please complete the Library's Copyright Assessment Request for Film Showing. In addition, contact TCSA at community@trentcentral.ca with the following details:

  • Title(s) of film(s) they wish to screen
  • Planned date of the screening
  • Location of the screening
  • Purpose of the screening (social or educational)
  • Number of expected attendees
  • Will fee be charged?
  • Any additional relevant details

 

 

 

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