Do you know when and how you’re allowed to copy someone else’s work for your own research and studies? One of the exceptions to copyright is known as “fair dealing,” which plays an important role in fostering creativity, innovation and scholarship—as well as enabling access to essential educational resources. Fair Dealing Week is an annual celebration of the important limitations and exceptions to copyright that enable materials to be copied and communicated in certain circumstances.
The library is celebrating Fair Dealing Week with a series of events. Visit their website to learn more about what is happening at the library this year.
What exactly is fair dealing?
Fair dealing is a user right that gives balance to the copyright system and enables materials to be fairly copied and communicated for purposes such as private study, research and education, without needing to obtain permission or pay copyright royalties.
In order to ensure your copying is fair, you need to consider factors such as the amount you are copying, whether you are distributing the copy to others, and whether your copying might have a detrimental effect on potential sales of the original work.
Fair Dealing is for everyone
You probably make use of fair dealing every day without even realizing it, whether e-mailing a news article to a friend, using a clip from a song or quoting passages from a book when writing an essay.
Activities such as these are not considered to be copyright infringement—in fact, the ability for users to make copies for specific purposes is an integral part of the Copyright Act.
Fair dealing is critical to education
There are many ways in which academic institutions use fair dealing to facilitate access to materials used in teaching, learning and research.
- Libraries may use fair dealing to provide course reserve readings or to deliver research and study materials via interlibrary loan.
- Instructors may use fair dealing to make content available in CourseLink, or in the classroom.
- Researchers may use fair dealing to facilitate their research by sharing scholarly materials with their peers.
Need more information?
If you’re looking for more information, please contact Heather Martin, copyright officer, University of Guelph.
email: fairdealing@uoguelph.ca
phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 54701