May I show a television program in class?
Answer
It depends. You may:
- copy a television news program at the time of its broadcast and then play that copy in class under the Copyright Act (previously, you could only play it within a year of the broadcast). However, documentaries and films are not covered by this exception.
- play a DVD of a television program, provided the DVD is not an infringing copy or you have no reasonable grounds for believing it is an infringing copy;
- record and play excerpts from a television program under the fair dealing exception.
Please note: Under a new exception in the Copyright Act, you have the right to play in class materials that you find on the Internet, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. So, if you find a television program online, you may play the program in class, provided:
- the program appears to have been posted legitimately (i.e. with the consent of the copyright owner),
- there is no clearly visible notice on the program or the website prohibiting you from playing the program in class,
- there is no technological protection measure preventing you from accessing or copying the material (e.g. it's not on a password-protected website), and
- when you play it in class, you acknowledge the TV production company and the website.
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