Navigating Copyright in Schools: An Updated Resource for Canadian Educators Released

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto, February 8, 2005 -- A booklet on copyright released today will be made available to every teacher and school board in Canada. The Copyright Consortium of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA), and the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) jointly announced today the release of an updated Copyright Matters!, a booklet designed to answer frequently asked questions about copyright in schools. Copies of the booklet, which can be found on-line and in print, will be distributed broadly across Canada.

Copyright in Canada is an evolving, not a static, landscape. The first edition of Copyright Matters!, published in 2000, proved to be highly popular with educators because it demystified complex copyright issues and acquainted them with basic copyright rules. Since then, a number of significant changes have occurred in copyright and this second edition will bolster the growing awareness of and respect for copyright in education while providing up-to-date information on copyright law, copyright collectives, and how they relate to the use of resources in educational settings.

New information is provided in the booklet on copyright related to radio and television, while the information related to school libraries, copyright exceptions, and copyright collectives has been expanded. The booklet provides simple answers to questions such as:

  • Can teachers copy print materials?
  • What is the cost of copying radio and television programs?
  • Can teachers and students copy from the Internet?

 

"Copyright policy is an area of growing concern for Canada's school boards," said Mr. Gord Comeau, President of CSBA. "Certainly, school boards want to ensure that their employees are able to access the most relevant information in the timeliest and most cost-effective manner. Copyright Matters! provides educators with balanced information on both respect for copyright and access to information. This booklet allows school boards to lead by example on the issue of copyright."

"Teachers - and their students - need to know what current Canadian copyright policies are in place," said the Honourable Jamie Muir, Nova Scotia's Education Minister. "That's why we support Copyright Matters! It can help teachers and students understand how copyright law and copyright collectives relate to the use of resources in the classroom." Nova Scotia was the lead CMEC member behind this initiative.

"This booklet is a handy guide that provides clear and concise answers to teachers' questions about copyright," said Ms. Terry Price, President of the CTF. "However, current copyright laws and consequently this booklet provide limited guidance on the educational use of the Internet," she added. "We hope and expect that the federal government will act soon to open windows of learning to our students and teachers by ensuring they have reasonable access to publicly available Internet materials."

On-line copies of Copyright Matters! are available at www.cmec.ca, www.ctf-fce.ca, and www.cdnsba.org.

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For further information, contact

Colin Bailey
Assistant Director, Administration and Communications
CMEC
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 259
E-mail: c.bailey@cmec.ca
Web site: www.cmec.ca

 

Cynthia Andrew
Legislative and Policy Analyst, Ontario Public School Boards' Association
CSBA
Tel: (416) 340-2540, ext.112
E-mail: candrew@opsba.org
Web site: www.cdnsba.org

Harvey Weiner
Policy Advisor, Government and External Relations
CTF
Tel: (613) 232-1505
E-mail: hwein@ctf-fce.ca
Web site: www.ctf-fce.ca