Copyright in academia
Copyright in works created by faculty and staff in the course of their employment, such as for teaching, belong to the university as outlined in the IP Policy.
Where an author seeks the maximum dissemination and impact on their output, an open license like a Creative Commons license is recommended.
Scholarly authors should be mindful that, some publishers have a condition for authors to transfer copyrights in their publications in order for the work to be published in a journal or book. Reading and understanding all publishing agreements is important and these terms can always be negotiated. Where copyright is transferred, it means authors cannot repost their own journal publications on any website without seeking permissions from the publisher (most of the time this will be denied). Retaining copyright in your work ensures control and ease of distribution and access to your work in future.
Not all publications and images that are available on the internet are free and open for use. Most are still under copyright and require permissions before use; unless the fall under the exceptions outlined above. One must always acknowledge any images and works used and attach the appropriate copyright notice and authors name.
For compliance, seek permission before use or alternatively contact the Copyright Office for assistance in clearances and permissions.
Moodle and course packs
Course packs are collections of educational materials and articles bound together and distributed internally to supplement study. Works to be included in a course must be copyright compliant particularly where they are to be used in a digital format.
