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Copyright, Fair Use & Creative Commons Licensing

A guide to inform faculty and students about copyright.

Best Practices in Copyright Compliance using Canvas

The information provided on this page spotlights the best practices in being copyright compliant when linking to Library materials within Canvas, and provides a step-by-step outline for how to properly link to articles and eBooks within Canvas.

Best Practice #1: Link, don't upload

The simplest way to ensure copyright compliance is to avoid uploading material to Canvas. Rather than uploading a PDF of an article, provide the permalink (e.g. DOI), if available - to the article. Rather than uploading a PDF of a book chapter, provide a permalink to the eBooks. Linking to materials is not copyright infringement, since you are not copying or reproducing the material.

Best Practice #2: Use permalinks, not hyperlinks

When linking to material in  Canvas, opt for permalinks instead of hyperlinks. Permalinks are more static than URLS, and thus, less susceptible to changes in the URL over time. Not all materials will have permalinks, but many will. Articles that are full-text in PubMed have permalinks called DOI. If you are having trouble finding permalinks, please reach out to the Library.

I downloaded the PDF of an article accessed through the Library. Why can't I just upload the PDF to Canvas?

The Library does not recommend uploading PDFs to Canvas. Materials available through the Library (like the full-text of an article accessed through an electronic database) are subject to the terms of individual licenses with publishers, which may or may not allow this kind of use. Even if it is allowed by the license, material should not "live" on Canvas indefinitely. Additionally, if there are changes in the future and the Library no longer provides access to this article, the continued existence of the PDF on Canvas would definitively be a violation of copyright.

Therefore, it is best - and easiest - to link to material, rather than upload material. This way you do not have to worry about licenses or manual removal of material at the end of the semester. 

What about when the Library doesn't provide access to the material, but I have a PDF?

You can upload the PDF if:

  • The material was published in the United States before 1923 (and therefore in the public domain)
  • The material was produced by the US government (and therefore is in the public domain).
  • The material has a license with allows for open distribution (such as certain Creative Commons licenses). 

If it does not fall under those three items, you must first consider the four factors of fair use. Keep in mind, fair use is not a law; it is a defense against allegation of copyright infringement. You must consider whether your use of copyright materials fits the fair use defense by considering:

  • the character of the use,
  • the nature of the work being used,
  • the amount used in proportion to the whole, and
  • the impact on the market for the work.

If it does not fit fair use, then you must get the copyright holder's permission before uploading the PDF to Canvas. 

Best Practice #3: When in doubt, get permission

If you are ever in doubt about whether your use of material constitutes fair use, get the copyright holder's permission. Want help determining whether your use of material constitutes fair use? Reach out to the Library.