Copyright and Course Materials
For Faculty
As an instructor, you want to share high-quality content with your students. Copyright law affects how you can share course materials, whether it’s through Brightspace, class handouts, or course reserves. We are here to help you do this legally and efficiently.
Sharing Materials with Students
You can usually share materials if:
- you created the content yourself
- the work is in the public domain
- Dalhousie has licensed access to the material (such as library eBooks, articles, or streaming video)
- you have permission from the copyright holder
- your use qualifies as fair dealing
Using Copyrighted Content in Brightspace
You may upload or link to:
- short excerpts under fair dealing
- Dal Libraries licensed content (check for terms of use)
- materials with open licenses (like Creative Commons)
- content you created
Avoid uploading:
- full books or large portions of copyrighted works without permission
- scanned materials from sources you don’t own or license
Not sure if it’s okay to post something? Ask us first.
Using eReserves
Dalhousie’s eReserves service helps you share course readings legally and easily. Library staff handle permissions, licensing, and fair dealing reviews.
You submit your reading list and we:
- check for licensed content
- assess fair dealing
- get permissions if needed
Submit an eReserves request.
Copyright Presentations
We can provide presentations or workshops around copyright related issues for your colleagues and/or students. Please contact us for more information.
Have Questions or Want More Information?
The Dalhousie Libraries Copyright Office can help you understand what you can use, how to get permission, and when exceptions apply.
Visit our comprehensive Copyright guide for more detailed and specific advice or contact us at copyright.office@dal.ca.