Textbooks

Code of Best Practices in Fair Dealing for Open Educational Resources by Rowena Johnson, Stephanie Savage, Heather Martin, Ann Ludbrook, Joshua Dickison, Kayla Lar-Son (CC BY).

This resource explores the legal and practical application of fair dealing in the context of Open Educational Resource (OER) creation in Canada.  While the Code is not legal advice it provides a legally defensible and judicious model for the application of the fair dealing exception when incorporating third-party copyrighted content into OER. The Code details the relevant Canadian legislative and legal context and supplies relevant practical examples. The Code is intended to empower Canadian creators and adopters of OER to make use of fair dealing, while also fostering institutional and legal support for doing so. Understanding the scope and flexibility that the fair dealing exception offers will assist with the risk-benefit analysis and ensure that OERs achieve their pedagogical, pragmatic, and social functions. Furthermore, robust OERs fulfill institutional ethical and sometimes legal obligations to make resources universally accessible to their communities.

Copyright Conversations: Rights Literacy in a Digital World edited by Sara R. Benson (open access- no license specified)
The expert copyright librarians collected in Copyright Conversations: Rights Literacy in a Digital World address complex legal issues at the intersection of copyright and information literacy. Four sections—Copyright Librarians’ Role and Advocacy, Education, Research and Policy, and International Issues—provide detailed explanations of the issues and considerations and offer prescriptive tips and advice for teaching and applying the information

Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and Researchers  by Kevin L. Smith, J.D. (open access pubication; no license specified)
Copyright and other types of laws regulating intellectual property create an increasing concern for contemporary scholarship. The digital environment has created exciting new opportunities and possibilities for scholars to work and distribute their work. But these new opportunities also create issues that did not arise in the analog world. Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and Researchers attempts to demystify intellectual property, and especially copyright law, for academic authors and independent scholars who face these dilemmas. It also can serve as a comprehensive resource for librarians who are asked to assist with these new and challenging decisions. Throughout the book a clear explanation of the law is coupled with concrete examples drawn from actual issues encountered by scholars. This balance of theoretical background and practical application is designed to appeal to both those who want a quick discussion of potential approaches and those who prefer to know “why.” In addition to applying this approach to copyright issues that arise for research and teaching, the volume also discusses the options and obstacles that confront authors wishing to publish their work in new environment. Explanations and objective assessments of the different options available for disseminating scholarship are provided to assist authors and other creators in making their own decisions about the best choice for them.

Websites

Opening Up Copyright Instructional Modules  by University of Alberta Copyright Office (CC BY).

A suite of instructional modules on understanding copyright. The instructional modules have the following characteristics: The modules have five levels of instruction from basic to advanced meeting the needs of a wide variety of learners; The modules are interactive featuring popups, links, and test questions through use of H5P.
Underlying materials to make (and edit the modules) including scripts and PowerPoint slides are available.

Media Attributions

• Canada Map Icon by Icons8 (CC BY-ND).
• BC Map by Adamwashere (CC BY-NC-SA).