Copyright

Can I link to or embed YouTube or online videos in eCentennial?

Yes. Consider the following:

• The videos linked or embedded (not a MP4 file upload).
• The video was uploaded to the site by the copyright holder or with their consent.
• There are no clearly visible notices prohibiting educational use.
• You cite the source, including the URL. E.g. [Source: Account Name, (Year), URL]

Can I show a YouTube video in class?

Yes. Please consider the following:

• The videos are being shown for educational purposes on Centennial grounds to an audience mainly comprised of students. 
• The video was uploaded by the copyright holder or with their consent.
• There are no clearly visible notices prohibiting educational use.
• You cite the source.

How do I know the videos are uploaded by the copyright holder?

Check that the content of the video corresponds with the account that uploaded it. 

Click on the name of the uploader, just below the playback window, and you can explore their channel to find out more information about them—the About tab will probably provide you with good information. Some channels, especially for large companies, may have been verified by YouTube—verified uploaders have a grey box with a checkmark next to their name.

Some videos may include source attribution and a statement that no copyright infringement is intended, but they are nevertheless illegal uploads and should not be shared with your students.

The Standard YouTube License applies to most videos, but other rights exist, such as Creative Commons licenses. Click "show more" below the playback window to find licensing information for YouTube videos. YouTube uploaders are responsible for obtaining copyright permissions for any copyright-protected material found in their videos.

For more information, visit YouTube Copyright Tips or watch this video from the YouTube Copyright School.

Per the Canadian Copyright Act:

30.04 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (5), it is not an infringement of copyright for an educational institution, or a person acting under the authority of one, to do any of the following acts for educational or training purposes in respect of a work or other subject-matter that is available through the Internet:

(a) reproduce it;

(b) communicate it to the public by telecommunication, if that public primarily consists of students of the educational institution or other persons acting under its authority;

(c) perform it in public, if that public primarily consists of students of the educational institution or other persons acting under its authority; or

(d) do any other act that is necessary for the purpose of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c).

These rules apply to all online video content, but you should avoid websites with technological protection measures (TPMs), sometimes called digital locks. They limit access to content through mechanisms such as password protection and pay walls, and you cannot share protected content with your students.

You should also check website usage terms or copyright notices to ensure that educational use of their content is not expressly prohibited.

Streaming services like Netflix and iTunes temporarily upload content to your devices and delete it after playback—they are not copies. When you subscribe to streaming services, you do not own content.

The terms of use for streaming services are usually limited to personal use only. These licences trump exemptions for educational use in the Copyright Act, because their services restrict access to content through technological protection measures (TPMs), or "digital locks". 

If you are unsure whether you can show streamed content in class, check the licence terms for phrases like "personal use only" and "telecommunication or broadcast", or contact us for assistance.

When you cannot show streamed content to your students, you may instead direct students to access the content on their own.