At the University of Toronto, faculty and students own the copyright in their work (with some exceptions) until they transfer this copyright to a publisher.
It means that you have the exclusive right to make certain uses of the works that you own the copyright to for a limited period of time.
In Canada, copyright lasts for 50 years after the end of the year of death of the author or creator of a work. In other countries, it is longer (typically 70). Copyright law is territorial, but international copyright agreements mean that copyright regulations are mutually enforceable across international boundaries in countries which have signed these agreements.
Publishers typically ask that you transfer copyright or license the use of your work to them; in return, they will publish your work. This exchange is typically referred to as the “publication agreement.”
University of Toronto Libraries Libguide: Copyright and your Thesis
No, everything I’ve used is insubstantial or my own work |
Yes, and I don’t plan to publish the content before/after graduation |
Yes, and I plan on publishing some/all of the content |
Permission is likely unnecessary Refer to the U of T Fair Dealing Guidelines to determine this |
Your use of third-party content may be consistent with the U of T Fair Dealing Guidelines, in which case permission is not needed
Does it exceed the guidelines? Permission is needed. Consult the SGS Copyright Permission Request Sample Text for help |
This may change the purpose from ‘educational’ to ‘commercial’ - The U of T Fair Dealing Guidelines will still apply to the work submitted for graduation. BUT you will have to seek permission from the copyright holder for all material that will be published in a journal or book |
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