When creating content for teaching material it's important to ensure you are complying with copyright.
The University’s electronic library service provides access to a large range of electronic journals and eBooks. This resource is available to all registered students and staff.
Adding content to Myplace
Copying and pasting to Myplace from an electronic resource
The licence terms and conditions of many electronic resources do not permit you to copy and paste content onto Myplace. You should provide a link to the resource for access by your students.
Scanning and adding content to Myplace
The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) licence does not permit you to scan content and upload it to Myplace. The University digitisation service can help you to add content legally to Myplace.
Finding alternative resources
Your faculty librarian may be able to suggest alternative resources if required.
Using content from the internet
All content on the internet is normally protected by copyright law.
Whether or not you can use content from the internet in your teaching materials depends on whether the individual website's terms and conditions allow reuse.
Some websites will allow reuse for educational purposes but still apply restrictions and limits.
Always check the website's terms of use or copyright statement, or contact us for assistance.
Linking to third-party content
It's always safer to provide a link to third-party content rather than copy and paste the content into your teaching material. Where possible, try to ensure the link opens in a new window.
Showing films & broadcasts of TV/radio programmes
The University has a licence with the Educational Recording Agency (ERA). This allows staff to record broadcasts and make them available for use in teaching and learning. This includes broadcasts of films, TV and radio programmes that have been shown on terrestrial TV or an On-Demand service.
If the film/programme you wish to use is covered by the ERA licence then you can show it in class. The audience must be restricted to staff and students only.
Making broadcasts available in Myplace
You can make broadcasts available in Myplace if they are covered by the ERA licence.
The broadcast must be restricted to students based in the UK. You may not make a recording available to overseas students.
Making broadcasts not covered by the ERA licence available in Myplace
You can make available some other terrestrial/free to air broadcasts, provided the access is secure and restricted to staff and students in the UK only.
Subscription channels such as Sky and Netflix are excluded.
Showing foreign language broadcasts in class/adding foreign language broadcasts to Myplace
Copyright exceptions permit this, provided:
- the broadcast is being shown for educational or instructional purposes, and
- the audience is restricted to staff and students.
A sufficient acknowledgement (where practical) should also be included.
Showing broadcasts from subscription channels
Subscription channels are not covered by the ERA licence. We would normally need to seek permission from the copyright owner for any reuse. Contact Information Services if you would like help doing this.
Showing a DVD you have bought
There is an exception in copyright law to allow educational establishments to show a film/broadcast in class without infringing copyright. However, the DVD will contain a licence (terms and conditions) stating that it is for ‘domestic use only’. A decision will need to be made as to whether this excludes showing it in a university.
In many cases the showing of a DVD in class is permissible and the risk of infringement against the institution is likely to be low.
You should never:
- copy the DVD and make it available in Myplace
- show a DVD you got for free from (for example) a newspaper or magazine; these are usually created for promotional purposes and should not be shown in class
Showing films for entertainment or one-off events
You cannot show films for entertainment purposes without obtaining a licence from a provider such as Filmbank or The Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC). If you wish to do this, please contact Information Services.