Copyright and Video Material
What are the copyright considerations when making a video?
How may I use video material within the limits of the law?
What can I do if I want to copy beyond the allowances of the law?
What online video resources may I access as a member of City?
What are the copyright considerations when making a video?
It is always important to consider copyright when using video-based material to support teaching and learning.
Lecturers making their own video (of a lecture, for example) might assume that they automatically hold copyright of such material, but there can be pitfalls. Care should be taken not to include material which originates in other sources: diagrams from books, for example, or accompanying music. In order to legally include this type of material, permission to do so must be granted by the relevant copyright holders.
How may I use video material within the limits of the law?
UK legislation (The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) has some allowances for the copying and use of video material, for example:
- A film may be shown to an audience consisting of teachers/lecturers and pupils/students and other persons directly connected with the activities of the establishment, providing it is shown: (a) by a teacher or pupil in the course of the activities of the establishment, or (b) at the establishment by any person for the purposes of instruction (Section 34(1 & 2) of the Act)
- A lecturer may copy a film if this is for purposes of giving criticism and review in a lecture to students, providing that this is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement and that the work has previously been made available to the public (Section 30(1) of the Act)
What can I do if I want to copy beyond the allowances of the law?
The University has a licence with the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) which permits staff at City to record, for non-commercial educational purposes, broadcast output of ERA Members. Note that many digital-only broadcasters are excluded from this list.
Licensed recordings can be retained, stored and copied and relayed within the establishment, for example shown in class. Recordings may be made available via Moodle with the proviso that they are not accessible outside the UK.
Our guide to Recording TV and Radio Broadcasts gives details of what is permitted and not permitted under the terms of the University's Educational Recording Agency (ERA+) Licence.
What online video resources may I access as a member of City?
City has subscriptions to the following resources:
- JISC Media Hub: a collection of film, video and sound material. Includes access to British Paramount News, Channel 4 and 5 News, Gaumont British News and Graphic Newsreel, Programmes as Broadcast (PAB), Reporting 66-67, Reuters News, Roving Report and Visnews as well as a range of ITN material including: Clip Reel, Collections, News, Non-released, Open-ender, Reports and Rushes. Click on link for City University, London (IT log-in) and enter your IT username and password
- Newsfilm Online: a selection of news stories and programme scripts from the ITN/Reuters archives - some 3,000 hours of footage; c. 60,000 stories. You may use video playback and download clips providing you use for educational, non-commercial purposes.
- TRILT (Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching) : TV & radio schedules ten days in advance, auto alerts.
For further information, contact Peter Williams, Library Services, Telephone: +44 (0)20 7040 5650