Support Page Content
Protect your Course Materials and Copyrights
CSU faculty generally own the copyrights to their lecture notes, presentations, quizzes, tests, videos, visual aids, and other course materials that they create. In 2022, CSU faculty contacted OITT about students posting their course materials on the internet without permission. In order to reduce the likelihood of students posting your copyright-protected course materials on the internet without your permission, you may consider doing some or all of the following:
- Posting your course materials only on a platform that is password-protected and accessible only to registered students who are enrolled in your classes;
- Informing your students on your website, syllabi, and the first class meeting that your lecture notes, presentations, quizzes, tests, videos, visual aids, and other course materials that you created are protected by U.S. copyright law and that students may not share them without your permission, except as provided by U.S. copyright law;
- Including a copyright notice, in a header or footer on the first page of your website, lecture notes, presentations, quizzes, tests, and other course materials to indicate that they are protected by copyright; for example:
- Copyright © 2023, Your Name, All Rights Reserved
- Copyright 2023, Your Name, All Rights Reserved
- Copyright 2023, Your Name
- © Your Name, 2023
- Including signals for filtering tools in your lecture notes, presentations, quizzes, tests, and other course materials to prevent your course materials from being uploaded; for example:
- “This content is protected by copyright and may not be shared, uploaded, or distributed.”
- “This content is protected and may not be shared, uploaded, or distributed.”
5. Including the following sample language on your website, syllabi, and the first page of your course materials:
“My course materials, including but not limited to, lectures, lecture notes, presentations, quizzes, and tests are protected by U.S. copyright law. I am the exclusive owner of the copyright in the course materials that I create. You may take notes and make copies of my course materials for your own use. You may also share those materials with another student who is registered and enrolled in my course. You may not reproduce, distribute, display, post, or upload my course materials or recordings or course materials in any other way — whether or not a fee is charged — without my express written consent. You also may not allow others to do so. Similarly, you own the copyright in your coursework, including but not limited to original papers, essays, homework assignments, quiz answers, and test answers. If I am interested in posting your answers or papers on the course website, I will ask for your express written permission.”
What can you do if your Course Materials were Uploaded on the Internet
If your course materials were uploaded on the internet without your permission, you can request to have your course materials removed or taken down, for example, you can request for:
- Course Hero to takedown copyright-infringing material by submitting a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) compliant takedown request
- YouTube to remove videos that you believe infringe on your copyrights
- report such incidents to the Sacramento State Office of Student Conduct
Helpful Resources:
- Handbook of Copyright and Fair Use - Office of General Counsel The California State University
- Who Holds the Copyright in Your Classroom Handout? A Look at Higher Education Work-for-Hire Policies and Students Selling Class Notes
- Copyright During the Covid-19 Pandemic
- CSU Copyright Webpage and Resources