Blackboard Learn
There are many copyright issues involved when material is used in Blackboard Learn, as under UK copyright law, all materials placed in any shared electronic environment require explicit permission from the copyright owner or must be covered by a licence. This is applicable to all copyright material, even for 'free to view' content on the internet.
The University is subject to Copyright Compliance Audits of the e-learning environment carried out by the Copyright Licensing Agency. It is important to ensure all content is made available in keeping with copyright law and licensing to avoid personal and institutional liability for copyright infringement or breach of contractual obligations.
If you are an academic who wishes to make chapters from books or journals available in Blackboard Learn for teaching, it can be very complex depending on the content you wish to use. For example:
Printed books and journals
For printed books and journals, you may only make these available in Blackboard Learn provided all of the following are met:
- they are US or UK publications
- they are held in the Library
- they bear the CLA copyright notice and are reported to the Copyright and Digital Resources Officer. All digitised readings must be forwarded to the Library's Digital Readings Service for processing in accordance with the licence terms and conditions to be legally valid.
Further terms, exclusions and copying limits apply. See the following web pages for more information:
- Scanning - further information on the licence terms and conditions.
- Visit the Digital Readings Service page for information on how the Library can help.
Electronic journals
For electronic subscription based content from e-journals and databases you may only make these available in Blackboard Learn provided it is permitted in the contractual agreement with the provider.
Linking is the most likely permitted act, without needing further permission. A few may allow you to download content and make them available in Blackboard Learn, but this must be explicitly stated in the contractual terms to be legal.
For all other electronic content, inlcuding free to view web content, you must have permission from the copyright owner.
Web content
Unfortunately, no blanket licence yet covers electronic formats or web-based materials. You should check the website for details of copyright ownership and a terms of use statement, however making extracts available or linking to materials where they will be copied or downloaded by multiple users. See Copying from websites for further information.
The University holds a licence covering use of off-air broadcast recordings in Blackboard Learn, and in lectures. If you are a student or instructor of film or sound track making there are exceptions which may also apply. See Copying moving images for further information.
