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UCLA FAQ: Course Materials & Remote Learning

Thank you for providing remote instruction so that students may continue their studies without interruption.

The following information and recommendations may assist you in the transition to remote learning and instruction.

Unless Faculty used exceptional University resources to create course materials, faculty own the copyrights (including lectures, lecture notes and materials, syllabi, study guides, web-ready content) to the course materials they create. 

That means that only the faculty member and anyone to whom the faculty member has granted permission may reproduce, distribute or display (post/upload) course materials. 

See UC 2003 Policy on Ownership of Course Materials

1. Post your materials only on a platform that is password-protected and accessible only to registered and enrolled students.

2. Advise students that your course materials and your course presentations are protected and that students may not share them except as provided by U.S. copyright law and University policy.  You can share this information with students in your first class meeting, on your course website and in your syllabus. 

The following sample language may be helpful:

My lectures and course materials, including PowerPoint presentations, tests, outlines and similar resources, are protected by U.S. copyright law and University policy. I am the exclusive owner of the copyright to all materials that I create.

You may:

-take notes and make copies of course materials for your own personal use
-share those materials with another student who is registered and enrolled in this course

You may not:

-reproduce, distribute or display (post/upload) lecture notes, recordings or course materials without my express written consent-whether or not a fee is charged
-allow others to do so

If you violate these copyright protections, you may be subject to student conduct proceedings under the Code of Student Conduct, Section 102.23.

Similarly, you own the copyright to your original papers and exam essays. If I am interested in posting your answers or papers on the course web site, I must obtain your express written permission.

Faculty may include language on every page of course materials (in a header or footer) indicating the material is copyright protected, e.g., “© Faculty Name 2020." 

You may also want to include your UCLA email address in the event people may want to contact you to request your permission to use your materials.

With the following exceptions, no entity or individual may give, sell or otherwise distribute recordings of course presentations (including notes and audio/video recordings):

-Students enrolled in or auditing a course may give their own recordings to other enrolled/auditing students.
-The Center for Accessible Education may grant the accommodation of providing course recordings to students with a disability.
-Faculty may use recordings in compliance with University policy.

See UC 2005 Policy on Use of Recordings of Course Presentations

CourseHero has advised UC Counsel that its filtering tool will, in nearly all instances, prevent the upload of materials that include this sentence in a header or footer:   “This content is protected and may not be shared, uploaded or distributed.”

If you find that your material has been uploaded to Course Hero without your permission, submit a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)-compliant takedown request via the Course Hero takedown portal. This usually takes about five minutes.

Once a valid takedown request is submitted, Course Hero has a duty to act “expeditiously” – usually 2-3 days.