Quick copyright guide for students

Copyright is the legal protection of original works that:

• Are not copied from something else
• Required skill and judgment to create
• Exist in a form that can be copied (digital or physical)

Copyright doesn’t last forever, but it lasts long enough that most materials we find available online will have copyright protection.  

Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself.

Example

• Idea: A story about talking toys
• Expression: Winnie‑the‑Pooh, Toy Story, Child’s Play

You can reuse someone else’s work without asking permission if one of the following applies:

A. The Work Is in the Public Domain - copyright has expired

• In Canada, copyright usually lasts 70 years after the creator’s death
• But because of changes to the Copyright Act: If the creator died in 1971 or earlier, their work is now in the public domain
• There are different Public Domain terms for different types of works. Consult the University of Alberta's Public Domain flowchart for further details. 

Important:

Sometimes only the original version is public domain. Later adaptations (for example, a later translation of a work now in the Public Domain) may still be protected.

B. You Have Permission or a License

• The copyright owner has given you permission (you can ask)
• The work is shared under an open license (such as a Creative Commons license)

Always follow the terms of the license. You will need to make sure you use an appropriate attribution when reusing licensed content, and always refer and link back to the license. 

C. A Copyright Exception Applies

Canadian copyright law allows limited reuse of copyright protected materials in some situations, including:

• Education
• Research or private study
• Criticism or review

This is called Fair Dealing and it is a legal test set out in the Copyright Act and Canadian court decisions. Whether a use is fair depends on several factors, including how much of the work you use and how it is shared. If you are making copies for research or course assignments, the UM Copyright Guidelines are a good reference for how Fair Dealing may apply to your copying. 

Small excerpts (short quotes, small portions) are often considered insubstantial and can be reproduced with citation, but the amount depends on the overall length of the work you are copying from. 

Citation is always necessary but not always sufficient.

• Citation helps avoid plagiarism (an academic integrity issue)
• Copyright is a separate legal issue 

You usually need both:

• Permission/license or an exception and
• Proper citation

Course materials such as:

• PowerPoint slides
• Handouts
• Exams
• Lecture recordings

are usually protected by copyright owned by:

• Your instructor
• The University
• A publisher

Do not share full copies of course materials online, or record or post lectures without permission

Materials are provided for your personal study only, unless told otherwise.

You own the copyright in original work you create as a student, and as a student you give the University of Manitoba certain rights to reuse your work for education and research at the University.

• You can share your own notes (taken in your own hand), assignments, or creative work
• Group work may be jointly owned (every group member gets to participate in making decisions about the jointly authored work)
• Work created as part of a job may be owned by an employer

Be Cautious About What You Upload

Do not upload:

• Course materials
• Library e‑resources

unless you have clear permission or the material is public domain or openly licensed.

When Can I Use Others’ Work in AI Tools?

Only if:

• The work is in the public domain
• The copyright owner allows it
• The work has an open license that permits this use

AI Output and Copyright

• You may not own copyright in AI‑generated content
• You are responsible for the output you use
• AI tools can produce output that infringes on copyright protected works

Best practice:
Keep records of prompts, edits, and your decision‑making for major assignments. Avoid prompts that you know are likely to produce copyright protected output (don’t ask an AI tool to reproduce portions of a copyright protected book). 

Ask yourself:

• Did I create this myself?
• Is it public domain?
• Do I have permission or is there a license?
• Does a copyright exception apply?
• Am I only using what I need for my education or research purpose?
• Did I cite the source?
• Am I allowed to upload this into an AI tool?

If you answer "no", or you’re unsure, stop and ask. 

Contact Um.copyright@umanitoba.ca with your questions. The Copyright Office is here to help. 

Excluding the UM Copyright Guidelines, text on the Copyright Office website is available under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 , unless linked to, embedded, or otherwise noted.