Copyright Information

Educators in Newfoundland and Labrador need to be aware of the rules for the use of copyright-protected materials for their students.

Educators must adhere to the “fair dealing” provision of the Copyright Act. This provision permits the use of a copyright-protected work without permission from the copyright owner, or the payment of copyright royalties provided the material is being used for educational purposes and is within the parameters of the Fair Dealing Guidelines. There is a specific warning against copying consumables, print materials intended for one-time use.

Administrators and teachers should consult the Fair Dealing Decision Tool website to help determine whether classroom use of a copyright-protected work is fair dealing.

The book Copyright Matters! is also a good resource.  This booklet gives teachers user-friendly information on copyright law, covering items from the Canadian Copyright Act and its regulations, contractual and tariff arrangements with copyright collectives, and court decisions.

The Department of Education promotes compliance with fair dealings in schools, affirmed in the Education Ministers’ Policy Statement on Fair Dealing released by the Copyright Consortium of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada in March 2018.

More information, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and printable copyright posters, is available at the Council of Ministers of Education Canada website.

If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Programs and Servces, 729-7831.