SFU AtoM contains descriptions of materials held by SFU Archives and in some cases includes digital copies of the records described. Over time, the digital content available through SFU AtoM will grow as the Archives selectively digitizes some of its analog holdings and acquires born-digital materials. In making digital copies available, the Archives manages copyright in accordance with its general Access Policy (POL-2) and with the relevant University policies. The present page provides an overview of the Archives' practices.
Contents:
- Finding copyright information about particular materials
- Materials in public domain
- Copyright-protected materials – owned by SFU
- Copyright-protected materials – owned by third parties
- Request take-down of materials
Finding copyright information about particular materials
The Archives generally provides information about copyright in the archival description under the note on Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication. Usually, the information is given in the item-level description of the work. But where the same information applies to many items in the same file, series or fonds, it may be entered at the higher parent level. If there is no information in an item-level description, consult the next level up (from item to parent file; from file to parent series; from series to parent fonds).
Materials in public domain
Works in which copyright has expired are in the public domain and are indicated as such in the note on Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication. Researchers in SFU AtoM may download and use copies of public domain materials without restriction.
Copyright-protected materials – owned by SFU
The ownership of copyright in materials created by SFU employees in the course of their employment is governed by SFU’s Intellectual Property Policy, policy R30.03. In addition, private donors may assign their copyrights to SFU upon donating their records to the Archives.
Materials held by the Archives for which SFU owns copyright are generally made available under a Creative Commons (CC) license. There may be exceptions, and different CC licenses may apply in different cases.
Researchers in SFU AtoM may download SFU CC-licensed materials and use copies in accordance with the terms of the license. Typically, this covers all non-commercial uses and requires citing SFU as the copyright owner. A link to the full CC license is normally given in the archival description in the note on Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication. Any use of copies for any other purposes requires the permission of SFU Archives.
Copyright-protected materials – owned by third parties
Archival fonds and collections usually include third-party copyright-protected materials. For example, the records of an SFU department will include correspondence the department received from external organizations; the privately donated archives of an individual will include correspondence received from other individuals. Those external organizations and other individuals ("third parties") typically retain copyright in the materials they authored. While the recipient physically owns the records s/he receives, the intellectual property rights remain with the original creators of the documents.
Where these materials are made available, researchers in SFU AtoM may download a copy for private study, research or other purpose permitted under the fair dealing provisions of Canada's Copyright Act. Use for any other purpose may require the permission of the copyright owner. Researchers are responsible for obtaining all permissions directly from the copyright owner.
Copyright information will typically be given in the note on Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication. Researchers may contact the Reference Archivist for more information about copyright ownership in particular cases. For more information on a user's rights and responsibilities under fair dealing, consult with SFU's Copyright Office.
Request take-down of materials
If you think that you are the copyright owner of material that the Archives has made available through SFU AtoM and you object to its online dissemination, you may request the Archives to take it down. Please see Request for Takedown of Online Materials by Record Subjects or Copyright Owners.
Page last updated: Oct 27, 2015