By: John Yolkowski, Copyright Services Coordinator, Dalhousie Libraries

As Dalhousie makes the migration to Brightspace, the new Learning Management System (LMS), instructors will notice some changes and new features. For instance, when you first log into Brightspace you will be presented with this pop-up notice:

In order to gain access to Brightspace, you will need to click “I confirm,” to confirm that you are aware of your copyright responsibilities. This pop-up message will appear each term as a reminder about copyright.

Instructors share in the responsibility to ensure the materials you have uploaded into your course space are copyright compliant. This means you have the permission of the copyright holder to upload the item, or you are making content available under an exemption in the Copyright Act, like Fair Dealing (see our Fair Dealing Guidelines here).

If you are unsure about whether your course is copyright compliant, Dalhousie Libraries’ Copyright Office has tools to help you:

• We have a guide on our website regarding the use of copyrighted material in learning management systems: http://www.dal.ca/dept/copyrightoffice/for-faculty/online-teaching-guide.html

• And an online video tutorial on copyright and Brightspace:http://libcasts.library.dal.ca/Copyright_and_Brightspace/

• As well, we also provide a Copyright Course Review Service on request, where Copyright Office staff will review your course space for copyright concerns, and provide suggestions/clearances for material that may be infringing.

If you have any questions about copyright and your course-space, this pop-up window, or would like to take advantage of our course review service, please contact us at Copyright.Office@Dal.ca or 902-494-4346. Thank you again for playing your part in ensuring sustainable and ethical copying practices at Dalhousie.