To help demystify educators' common misconceptions regarding copyright, I created this blog post using a 5Ws & 1H approach to address some common questions.
What is copyright?
First we need to understand that copyright laws vary across countries. To understand copyright in Singapore’s context, watch this video clip (6 min).
Who does it impact & Why is it important?
It impacts everyone. By following proper copyright guidelines, you protect yourself and your institution. At same time, you model the right behaviour for counterparts and students to follow.
When do I need to worry about it?
As you start planning your course materials for the new semester, you may encounter some resources that are already well done and fits in nicely with your own course. Do not delay, start researching about that resource’s copyright so as to give yourself some buffer if nee and contact the copyright owner
Where can I learn more about copyright & attribution?
Fret not. NUS librarians have consolidated many resources for faculty. I categorised them into the following:
Attribution
OER & Creative Commons
Others
*non-NUS resources.
How do I avoid the pitfalls of copyright & attribution?
Get familiar with the dos and don’ts with regards to copyright and attribution. Read the resources shared in this blog post, consult our friendly NUS librarians if needed.
Scenario:
“You (an IHL instructor) found a useful YouTube video and added that link into your online course. After all, the course is only accessible by students inside your institution’s LMS, so the copyright owner won’t know. In addition, you attributed the source, so it should be fine... right?” Kudos to the faculty above for attributing the source, but attribution alone is not a cure-all. While YouTube videos are publicly available, they are copyrighted by default.
To understand its usage permissions, you need to see if a creative commons category was added. If not, please try to contact the copyright owner for permission to use their resource. NUS has provided a useful guide (5 simple steps) on how to obtain permission. It even includes samples of requests forms, and how to attribute properly, etc.
Next Steps
I hope this post helps educators navigate around this issue. As I understand more, I will update this blog post or collaborate with NUS library to create a mini-course that covers this issue in greater depth. Much depends on availability of my subject matter experts from NUS libraries. See how it goes.
For now, if you are an NUS faculty and still need help pertaining to copyright education and awareness, check out NUS’s one-stop guide for a comprehensive overview of copyright relating to teaching, learning and research.
If you still cannot find what you are looking for, please keep calm (pun intended) and contact the Copyright, Agreements and other Legal Matters (CALM) team at askalib@nus.edu.sg.
Benedict Chia
11 June 2022
:: The text of this blog post is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. Attribute and link back to NUS LibGuides if you are going to re-use any of their content ::
Update 30 Aug 2022: Although this blog post was written for educators, I found a useful Copyright resource for Students by Dr Kay O. Check it out via https://padlet.com/KayO28/copyright
Update 15 Aug 2022: NUS Library (Devin) has published a blog post on 4 simple steps to avoid copyright issues. Check it out via https://blog.nus.edu.sg/linus/2022/08/15/lets-make-it-copy-right/
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