Copyright Guide for Teaching

Use links rather than uploaded copies. For journal articles, ebook chapters and other Library resources, the normal approach is to link students to the content rather than upload a PDF.

If a reading is available through the Library, add it to your Leganto reading list. This gives students legal, authenticated access and avoids the copyright, accessibility and usage problems that can arise when publisher PDFs are uploaded directly to MyLearningSpace.

If the reading is not available electronically, the Library may be able to provide a digitised extract through the scanning service.

• use Leganto to share readings
• do not upload saved or downloaded publisher PDFs yourself
• if no online version is available, request a scan through the Library

See also: Uploading PDFs to the VLE and Scanning for teaching.

Teaching use is not a blanket permission. You need a lawful route for the material you want to use.

In practice, this will usually be one of these:

• material you created yourself
• material with a licence that permits reuse
• Library-licensed content shared by link
• a copyright exception such as illustration for instruction
• a digitised extract provided through the Library scanning service

A licence is often the simplest route. This might be a Library subscription, the CLA Higher Education Licence, or an open licence such as Creative Commons.

For many routine teaching requests involving books and journals, the CLA Higher Education Licence limit is usually one chapter, two articles from a journal issue, or 10% of the publication, whichever is greater, for a particular course or other individual purpose, and subject to coverage and other licence conditions.

A copyright exception may also apply. In teaching, illustration for instruction is often the most relevant. This may apply where you are using a limited amount of material for a non-commercial teaching purpose, the use is fair, no more than needed, and the source is acknowledged. For digital sharing with students, a licence route or Library-managed scan is usually more reliable.

If you want to share a more substantial extract with students, it is usually better to rely on a licence or the Library scanning service.

Even where individual extracts fall within licence limits, you should not build up a set of copied readings that effectively substitutes for students buying a core textbook.

Do not scan teaching extracts yourself for upload to MyLearningSpace or Leganto. If you need a book chapter or journal article that is not available online, use the Library scanning service.

At Abertay, the Library manages this process so that digitised extracts are checked, stored and shared correctly. This includes checking licence coverage, copying limits, whether an electronic version is already available, whether the source copy can be used, and whether the extract is being shared in the right way.

If you are relying on the CLA licence, do not assume any copy can be used as the source. Publications borrowed on inter-library loan cannot be used as source copies for CLA copying. Personal copies owned by staff should not normally be used either, except in limited circumstances.

Copies made under the CLA licence must be shared only through controlled university systems for the relevant students and staff. They must not be posted on public websites, social media or other open platforms.

If you need a copy or adaptation for a student with a disability, ask Library Services for advice.

See also: Scanning for teaching.

Do not assume that material online is free to reuse. Images, diagrams, tables, screenshots and other web content can still be protected by copyright.

The safest options are:

• your own content
• content that is clearly licensed for reuse, such as Creative Commons material
• content that is out of copyright
• limited use of third-party material where a teaching exception is likely to apply

Some still images from books, journals and other publications may also be reusable under a relevant licence, including the CLA Higher Education Licence where coverage and conditions are met. If the image comes from a Library resource and you are unsure, ask Library Services.

If the source, licence or ownership is unclear, use an alternative or ask Library Services.

Recorded teaching needs more care than live classroom use. Showing material in class is not always the same as recording, copying, uploading or sharing it online afterwards.

If you include third-party material in lecture slides or recordings:

• use only what is needed for the teaching purpose
• acknowledge the source
• keep access limited to the relevant students where possible
• avoid including more of the work than is necessary

Broadcast material such as TV and radio can raise additional copyright and licensing issues. If you want to record, copy, upload or share broadcast material for teaching, check with Library Services first.

If you are linking students to content hosted by the original broadcaster or provider, that is different from making and sharing a copy. If you are unsure which applies, ask before using it.

Limited extracts may sometimes be used in assessment and teaching materials. This can include exam questions, handouts and teaching slides, where the use is fair, necessary for the purpose, and properly acknowledged.

The same principles still apply:

• use only what is needed
• acknowledge the source
• prefer licensed or openly licensed content where possible

If you are creating materials that will be reused across modules or over several years, make sure the route you are relying on is robust.

Under the CLA licence, limited adaptation of extracts for teaching may also be allowed, for example annotating an image or blanking part of a text for an exercise, provided the change is identified and the work is not otherwise altered inappropriately.

Open access does not always mean free to reuse in any way. Before reusing material in teaching, check whether it has a clear reuse licence and what conditions apply.

Look for:

• a Creative Commons licence or other reuse permission
• any conditions, such as attribution or non-commercial use only

If there is no clear reuse permission, do not assume you can upload, adapt, translate or redistribute the material. If in doubt, link to the original source rather than copying it.

Using an approved AI tool does not remove copyright or licence restrictions. The same rules still apply to library content, third-party material and unpublished work.

Do not upload:

• subscription or paywalled Library content
• student work
• unpublished materials
• other content you do not have the right to reuse

See also: Copyright and AI.