A Short Course in Copyright for NWACC Faculty

Teachers may make limited copies of copyrighted material for classroom use under Fair Use. However, there are no hard rules. Courts often consider:

• 📏 Amount used: A small portion of a larger work is more likely to qualify
• 🎯 Purpose: Teaching, commentary, or critique favors fair use
• 📉 Market effect: Copying that replaces sales or licensing is less likely to qualify

💡 Tip: If you plan to reuse the same photocopies every semester, that’s likely not fair use.

These limits are based on the 1976 Agreement on Guidelines for Classroom Copying and remain widely referenced in educational settings. They are not law, but they help define “reasonable” copying practices for instructors.

• 📄 One copy per student, made at the teacher’s initiative
• 📚 A single article, chapter, short story, or essay
• ⛔ No copying consumables like workbooks or answer sheets
• 🕒 Use must be spontaneous—not enough time to request permission
• 💵 No cost to students beyond actual photocopying expense

💡 Tip: Guidelines apply only to one-time use. If used repeatedly, permission may be required.

Faculty may request that the Library place a photocopy on reserve for student use. Reserve use can support fair use under certain conditions, but repeated use or extensive copying may require permission.

• 📚 One article, chapter, or excerpt per course per semester
• 👩‍🏫 Reserve copy must be provided by the instructor or made with permission
• ⏳ Item is removed at the end of the term unless permission covers ongoing use

💡 Tip: We recommend using a permalink to a library database article when available.

• 📄 One copy per student only
• 💡 Use must originate from a single instructor's inspiration—not administrative direction
• 📚 Use is limited to a single course
• 🗓️ No more than nine instances per course per term (exceptions: current news items)
• 📕 Do not create or replace anthologies
• 🔁 Do not repeat photocopying every term
• ✅ Copy only from legally acquired originals
• ✉️ If time permits, always seek permission from the copyright holder
• 💵 Copying should never substitute for student purchase of materials

📘 What’s a coursepack? A coursepack is a collection of readings, like book chapters or articles, compiled by an instructor for a specific class. These were once printed and sold at bookstores, but now they’re often shared as PDFs in Canvas.

📚 What’s the risk? Uploading multiple readings across weekly Canvas modules even if each one seems fair can add up to a coursepack. This may exceed fair use or substitute for purchased materials, especially if drawn from a single source.

💡 Tip: When in doubt, the Library can help find legal alternatives like eBooks, article links, or OER.

Need help deciding if your photocopying is fair?

If you're unsure whether your photocopying qualifies as fair use, the Library can help evaluate your use case and recommend next steps.

💬 Tip: Reach out early, especially if you're building course materials for an upcoming term.