Copyright at Trent

Copyright guidance for Trent faculty, students and staff

Audio and Copyright

You may share and play audio (music, podcasts, sound recordings) 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 or has been legally posted online by the copyright holder
  • Any recording of the class is paused while the audio is played
  • There are no clearly visible restrictions on sharing the audio material (eg. License Agreement or Terms of Use)
  • You do not circumvent any digital rights protection measures or digital locks

When playing music for sound effects or ambiance:

  • You must license the audio material from copyright holder or collective representative such as the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
  • You may choose to subscribe to a streaming service licensed for the above use, such as Soundtrack Your Brand
  • You may choose to use openly licensed audio
  • You cannot use personal CDs or audio streaming platforms such as Spotify

You may play music or other sound recordings in the classroom for educational or training purposes as long as it is a legal, commercial copy, and there is not a technological measure preventing you from accessing the material.

But:

  • You cannot upload copyright protected music to Blackboard LMS. 
  • You cannot burn copies for distribution without permission.
  • For uploading to Blackboard, use music that is in the public domain or are licensed for re-use (e.g. creative commons licenses)

Before making use of such music or other audio recordings ensure:

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

Audio Sharing Sites

If you require audio for educational use, look for file sharing sites where content has been legally uploaded by the copyright holder. Examine the terms of use of such sites to see what is permissible. Depending on such terms of use, you may be able to:

  • Post a link to the audio in your course material
  • Embed via an audio player in Blackboard
  • Present an audio in a classroom or in a synchronous virtual class setting

Without the copyright holder's permission, you may not:

  • Duplicate or record the audio
  • Edit or reuse the audio in a new creation

Subscription Audio Streaming Services Like Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

Generally, these services are licensed for personal, non-commercial use only, and sharing for educational purposes is not permitted. You may refer to the streaming service or license terms page, but, without the copyright holder's permission, you may not:

  • Duplicate or record the audio
  • Edit or reuse the audio in a new creation

 

Physical audio recordings

You may:

  • Play an audio recording that has been legally acquired (purchased, rented, licensed)
  • Play an audio recording for educational purposes in a classroom setting
  • Play an audio recording if no digital locks (DRM) are broken or violated

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

  • Play an audio recording for entertainment purposes
  • Digitize or record or make a copy of the audio recording

Before using make sure of the following:

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

Audio found in the Library's online collection

The Library licenses electronic materials that are accessible through the Library's catalogue. In this collection, if you find audio material you wish to use.

You may:

  • Refer to the source material's licence summary to determine permitted use
  • If linking is permitted, share the link to the resource
  • If printing and distribution is permitted, download and distribute a copy in a controlled classroom environment

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

  • Save, download, copy, capture or edit the audio material

Before using make sure of the following:

  • You have referred to permitted uses in the license information
  • That the title, author, source and licence (if applicable) for the image is included in your teaching materials
  • There is no clearly visible restriction that prohibits sharing or reuse

Helpfull Links