Copyright tools and forms

Copyright Decision Tree
Provides steps to determine whether you can use a copyright protected work in the way you would like to, both for teaching and for other purposes. Use this in conjunction with other resources and information on this website.

SFU employees have the responsibility to abide by Canada’s Copyright Act and by the University’s own copyright policies.

This decision tree will help you determine whether you can use a copyright protected work in the way you would like to.

Is the work protected by copyright?

Material not protected by copyright includes material in the public domain and material lacking in creativity or originality such as data, facts or ideas. The FAQs at copyright.sfu.ca can help you.

Yes (go to next step)
No (use the work)

Are you the creator of the work?

If so, do you own copyright in the work? Or have you retained the right to use it for this purpose, or to use a different version (e.g. a pre-print)?

Yes (use the work or the specific version allowed)
No (go to next step)

What do you want to do with the work? Is the work licensed for this type of use?

(E.g. Library license, Open Access, Creative Commons)

Yes (use the work and comply with conditions of license)
No (go to next step)

Is there a licensing agreement or statement specifically disallowing this use of the work?

(E.g. website terms of use, restrictions on Library license)

Yes (find a different source for the same work without the restriction OR go to "If you are unable to use this material")
No (go to next step)

Is the work protected by a technological protection measure (TPM)?

(E.g. password or download-blocker)

Yes (find a different source for the same work without TPM (e.g. scan a print version instead of downloading a pdf) OR go to "If you are unable to use this material")
No (go to next step)

Does fair dealing or another Copyright Act exception apply?

See the Instructors section at copyright.sfu.ca for what you can do with copyright protected works for teaching purposes, or contact the Copyright Office (copy@sfu.ca) with any questions.

Yes (use the work and comply with conditions in the Act)
No (go to next step)

If you are unable to use this material

You could:

ask the copyright holder for permission to use the work in this way,
adapt the material, repurpose the data in your own way or paraphrase (with attribution in each case),
provide a link to the work instead,
remove the work, or
use a different work.

All works must be legally obtained. Works must be properly cited. 07/2019.

Canadian Public Domain Flowchart
A visual tool by the Copyright Office at the University of Alberta (2021, licensed CC BY) to help determine when the copyright term for a work expires, the work enters the public domain in Canada and it can be used freely (within Canada) without permission or payment of royalties.

Technological Protection Measures (TPM) Fact Sheet
Describes what technological protection measures are, and their copyright implications.

Consent and Release Form - Photos, Videos, Recordings
Release form for use by any SFU department or group photographing or recording individuals.

Consent and Release Form - Previously Created Work
Release form for use by any SFU department or group sourcing media from the public (e.g. alumni, event attendees).

Independent Contractor Agreement
Agreement for use by any SFU department or group hiring external freelance media creators.

Mysterious and perplexing SFU Copyright Office posters
Information about this SFU Copyright Office campaign using magic show posters in the public domain, created by SFU Library Communications.

Copyright workshop videos and slides

The Copyright Office welcomes requests for presentations or workshops for your department or class year-round in any length and format, such as full-length workshops, shorter meeting presentations or more casual "lunch & learns."

Copyright for FASS Communicators slides by the Copyright Office
This workshop is broadly applicable for all staff creating marketing and promotional materials.

Copyright Workshop Videos by the Copyright Office
These videos are based on our faculty workshops, and include Copyright Basics (an introduction to the basic elements of copyright law in Canada), and Teaching and Copyright (a two-part look at finding and sharing material in your courses).

About Creative Commons licenses by the Copyright Office

SFU copyright management information

SFU Copyright Policies
Informing you of the university's and your responsibilities regarding copyright and your work (as a student, instructor or staff member) at SFU.

Note: The information obtained from or through this website is provided as guidelines for using works for educational purposes and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Contact copy@sfu.ca with any questions. The Copyright Officer is not a lawyer or legal expert in copyright law and is able to provide a professional and not a legal opinion. A professional opinion is offered for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice.

This work, the Simon Fraser University Copyright website, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise noted.

Copyright resources and links for staff

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