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Copyright Tutorial for FCAD Students

Using Other Creative Works

This section provides an overview of user responsibilities when copying, sharing, adapting, and using other creators' works. 

Your Copyright Responsibilities

Whether you're using a work for your assignment, a personal project, or for a job, remember that it's your responsibility to abide by the Copyright Act. Always confirm that you're permitted to use the material and if needed, acquired permission from the copyright owner. To avoid copyright infringement, credit alone may not always be sufficient.

Remember that credit must always be provided when using someone else's work. To avoid plagiarism, you can consult the library's Citation Guides when giving credit to a creator whose work you used for an assignment.  

Seeking Permission

When do you need to seek permission to use a work?

Here are examples of when you may want to consider seeking permission to use a work:

  • Your use of the work doesn't fall under fair dealing. For example, you want to copy a significant portion of another creator's work to use in your assignment. 
  • The work is provided through an institutional or personal subscription, such as content from library databases and personal streaming services like Netflix.
  • Your intended use of the work exceeds what's permitted by the license or terms of use. For example, you would like to use a work for commercial purposes but the Creative Commons license doesn't permit commercial use.

How do your request permission?

Before requesting permission, you'll first need to find out who the copyright owner is. Note that there are times when the copyright holder is not the creator of the work. Once you have the copyright owner's information, you can search online for their contact information and if they have copyright information on their website. For example, most major publishers websites include details on how to request copyright permission.

When seeking copyright permission, you should include the following information:

  • Your name and contact information
  • If you're using the work for a project, you can also include your institution's name
  • Details about the material(s) you'd like to use
  • A description on how you'll be using the material, such as the purpose, how much of the material you'll be using, any modifications/adaptions you may make, and how you'll be sharing it.  

Note that permission requests may take time so it's a good idea to send them as soon as possible. The copyright holder may request payment and/or have additional terms before granting you permission. If you are granted permission, keep a record (e.g., documents, emails) so that you have proof of permission.

Copying vs. Inspiration

 

 Reflection: What do you think about appropriation in art? 

 

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Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation

The Canadian Encyclopedia defines cultural appropriation as "the use of a people’s traditional dress, music, cuisine, knowledge and other aspects of their culture, without their approval, by members of a different culture." The Canada Council for the Arts considers that cultural appropriation occurs when "cultural borrowings or adaptations from a minoritized culture reflect, reinforce or amplify inequalities, stereotypes and historically exploitative relationships that have direct negative consequences on equity-seeking communities in Canada."

Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, involves "meaningful and informed engagement that includes acknowledgement and permission" (Canadian Encyclopedia). 

 

 

 Reflection: Think of an example of cultural appropriation and an example of cultural appreciation that you've encountered before. What differentiated one from the other?

 

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