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Creative Commons, Open Acces and Open Education Resources

Learn all about Creative Commons Licenses, Open Access and Open Ediucation Resources. Find additional resources including open images!

Important!

Are you legally using images?

  • An excellent site from Lesley Ellen Harris, Copyright + Digital Licensing Consultant + Educator that can help you determine if you're properly using images in your work.

Also important to note and keep in mind, the Copyright Act does not specify citation requirements beyond the name of the creator (if available), and the source of the material used (ex: Creator, Source). However, while there is no legal requirement to attribute works in the public domain to their creator(s) , doing so is critical for maintaining academic integrity. In general, image citations should meet the same requirements as a text citation in that the reader should be able to find the source of the image, and the image itself, based on the information provided in the citation.

 

Text for the above was adapted from Copyright at UBC, Image Citation Guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How much can I copy images?

As per our Fair Dealing Guidelines, you are allowed to use "short excerpts" from copyright-protected work. A short excerpt can mean up to 10% of a copyright-protected work. 
However, in regards to images, this includes an entire artistic work (including a painting, print, photograph, diagram, [cartoon], drawing, map, chart, and plan) from a copyright-protected work containing other artistic works.

Stand-alone images (e.g. a cartoon on a greeting card, an image from a postcard, etc.) cannot be used as they do not meet the guideline of "up to 10%" of a copyright-protected work.

Text above has been adapted from "Copyright Guide for Faculty: Images" Justice Institute of British Columbia, https://libguides.jibc.ca/copyright/images. Accessed 2 April, 2024.

Using Images

Image Use: General

Image use can be tricky in regards to copyright. Particularly because, in most cases, you wont be using a portion of an image but the entire image itself. And as we stated above, using an entire image is considered copying the whole work and will require permission from the copyright holder. But don't panic just yet! There are a few exceptions in the Canadian Copyright Act which allow the use of materials without first obtaining permission.

Fair Dealing

The Fair Dealing exception in the Copyright Act allows copying for the purposes of research, private study, education, satire, parody, criticism, review, or news reporting. If using a work, you must provide the source of the work and, if provided, the maker, artist, author, performer, broadcaster, etc. Copies made under Fair Dealing cannot, in general, be transmitted or distributed to another person unless you are an AUArts instructor distributing materials to your class in accordance with the Fair Dealing Requirements.

If you are still unsure about whether or not your use is "fair", the Fair Dealing Decision Tool may be able to help clarify.

Educational Uses

The Educational Exceptions in the Copyright Act allow for:

  1. Temporary display of copyrighted images in the classroom for instructional purposes as long as the source and creator (or copyright holder) is credited.

    • Note: this exception is only available for manual reproduction of images, and for works that are not commercially available on the Canadian market within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price, in a medium appropriate for education or training purposes.

  2. Use of images for assessment purposes, such as an assignment, test, or exam, as long as there isn't an acceptable commercial alternative in an appropriate format for testing.

  3. Use of images from public websites for classroom presentations, or for posting into an AUArts secure learning management system (for educational or training purposes), as long as you satisfy the following criteria:

    • You do not break or circumvent a digital lock to access or obtain a copy of the work;

    • There is no clear and visible notice on the website or on the work itself that prohibits the use or reproduction of the work (more than just a copyright symbol);

    • The website is not questionable, infringing or clearly using the works without the copyright owner’s consent; and

    • You identify the source of the work and, if available and applicable, the author, performer, maker or broadcaster of the work.

Please note that these exceptions may not apply to images taken from AUArts Library’s licensed electronic resources, including e-journals and e-books. If you are unsure about using an image, look at the database's terms and conditions or reach out to the library at library@auarts.ca.

And if we're being "fair" (see what I did there?), it's generally not OK (or "fair") to upload an image to a website or create links on a website that is not a part of the AUArts secure network. Doing so could potentially put you at risk of copyright infringement and academic misconduct.

Lastly, remember that it is always a good rule of thumb to cite the image creator / owner and the image source for both academic integrity and copyright reasons. Always assume that images are copyrighted unless there is clear evidence to the contrary (like a CC-License or Public Domain mark!) ("Copyright: Support Guides/Image Sources2.0.")

Works Cited

"Copyright: Support Guides/Image Sources2.0." UBC Wiki, http://wiki.ubc.ca/Copyright:Support_Guides/Image_Sources2.0. Accessed 2 April 2024.

Creative Commons License

Text for the above was adapted from Copyright at UBC, Instructor FAQ, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Resource List for Open Images

Check out these resources to find open images and artworks or works available under CC-licenses.

Note: For some of these resources, you may have to limit your searches to items in the public domain. Always read and review the terms and conditions on all websites and remember to cite your sources.