Declaring to support creation


Declaring to support creation

Throughout the school year, Copibec asks teaching professionals to report the content they use in the classroom or for educational purposes.

This article explains why reporting (or completing user logs) is so important for authors, publishers and content users.

 

Agreements between Copibec and educational institutions

First, there’s a contractual obligation to report content use. The Quebec ministry of education and the postsecondary institutions have signed licensing agreements with Copibec to ensure that teaching professionals use copyright-protected material in accordance with the Copyright Act.

Those agreements make it possible (among other things) for teaching professionals to reproduce larger portions of works than would otherwise be permitted under the Act’s fair dealing exception.

In essence, educational institutions are paying royalties so students can have access to a variety of quality content.

 

Fairer compensation

The reporting done by teaching professionals ensures that creators are compensated fairly for the work they do.

Thanks to the agreements, the royalties generated from the use of content can be redistributed to copyright owners by Copibec.

The specific information reported by users identifies which content has been used, who used it and how many copies were made, ensuring fairer compensation for the authors behind the works in high demand.

For example, a textbook from which dozens of pages were reproduced in 100 schools would generate more royalties than one where only one page was reproduced in one school.

 

Peace of mind

The reporting process allows Copibec to monitor the scope of content use and confirm that all use complies with the licensing agreements applicable to educational institutions.

When use in the educational sector is reported, Copibec is able manage royalties effectively and licensees are able to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with legal use.

 

What would happen if use wasn’t reported?

Without the crucial data on content use, Copibec wouldn’t be able to calculate the amounts owed to authors and publishers.

In other words, we couldn’t pay royalties to copyright owners. Those royalties are a vital source of income for authors and their publishers.

Ultimately, without the reporting process, the quality and availability of content for the education sector would be negatively impacted.

 

Advantages of collective licensing

Content users generally aren’t familiar with the Copyright Act and would find it very difficult to locate the right information on their own so they could determine the appropriate compensation for each particular type of content use.

The collective licensing model for reproduction rights makes it much easier to set payment rates that reflect the scope of use and ensure fair distribution of royalties.

It’s also a choice that we make as a society.

 

How to report your content use

Based on your educational institution’s level, follow the below link to find out how to report your use of copyrighted content:

  1. Elementary and high schools
  2. CEGEPs and private colleges
  3. Universities

 

Improvements to our reporting systems

The Copibec team is committed to making continuous improvements to our reporting tools so the process is as streamlined as possible. Major upgrades are currently being implemented.

 

Any questions?

Contact our education team to find out more