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Revised Fair Dealing Guidelines and Copyright Basics & FAQ Documents

From: Larry Alford, Chief Librarian 
Date: October 21, 2022
Re: Revised Fair Dealing Guidelines and Copyright Basics & FAQ Documents

The University of Toronto has revised its Fair Dealing Guidelines and Copyright Basics & FAQ documents to reflect changes in the legal landscape and the increased adoption of online course delivery methods and digital teaching and learning materials. These documents were last updated in 2012.

Revisions to these documents include:

  • Updated language to reflect the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2021 decision in York University v Access Copyright, relevant court decisions, and regulations 
  • Guidance on the use of images found on the internet. Images found on the internet are protected by copyright in the same way as an image in a book or on paper; when including images in professional activities it is necessary to review available exceptions in the Copyright Act

The University of Toronto takes its copyright obligations seriously and expects all members of its community to comply with copyright law. The Fair Dealing Guidelines and Copyright Basics & FAQ documents are intended to help faculty, staff and students ensure that their professional activities are in compliance with Canadian copyright law. 

You can also contact the Syllabus Service, which assists faculty and staff at the University in making course materials available to students in a manner that respects Canadian copyright law and existing University licenses. 

Links to these documents are provided below. You can also find them posted at uoft.me/copyrighthelp

For further support contact:

Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office
University of Toronto Libraries
copyright@library.utoronto.ca