Copyright Specialist

**JOB TITLE: Copyright Specialist**
Staff Bargaining Unit

**DEPARTMENT**:eLearning

**POSITION STATUS**:One Year Temporary Contract, (35 hours/week), OSSTF

**SUPERVISION RECEIVED**:Associate Vice President - Academic

**SUPERVISION EXERCISED**:Student Assistants, as required

**PRIMARY FUNCTIONS**:
A. Development, implementation and coordination of university-wide copyright procedures
and policies 30%

B. Permissions Clearances 20%
C. Budget 10%
D. Monitor, Assess, Problem Solve 20%
E. Advise and Liaison 20%

**Total 100%**

Reporting to the Associate Vice President - Academic, this position provides support to faculty,
staff and students on matters related to copyright compliance and obtaining copyright
permissions. This role assists in the administration and maintenance of copyright licenses for
use of third party materials in on-campus course materials, online, blended or experiential
learning courses offered at Algoma University. This role liaises with faculty, library staff, external
rights holders and publishers to verify copyright information, obtain appropriate permissions,
acts as a resource to the Algoma community and aids in the administration of all related
copyright matters.

Coordinates all aspects of copyright matters. Establishes and coordinates University-wide
copyright procedures, standards, and policy. Ensures that copyright is cleared for inclusion of all
third party materials in courses in the desired format and medium. Maintains the copyright
budget, develops procedures for streamlining workflow, prioritizes emergency requests along
with regular workload, negotiates copyright licences and agreements, advises and provides
matter experts. Monitors whether the University meets all of its legal and ethical obligations in
both external and internal copyright properties, specifically: digital reproduction rights, print
based reproduction rights, broadcast rights, audio reproduction rights, and web links. Maintains

such documentation as is necessary to defend the University in the instance of a suit for
copyright infringement.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**:
**A. Development, implementation and coordination of university-wide copyright**
**procedures and policies**
- Establishes and administers appropriate copyright procedures based on current

copyright law;
- Responsible for coordinating the licensing of Algoma University properties;
- Coordinates the use of consistent copyright practice among staff from other
- departments (e.g. Wishart Library);- Maintains general knowledge of current changes and precedents in Canadian
- and international copyright law;instructional designers, multimedia specialists, etc.

**B. Permissions clearances**
Administers Algoma University copyright agreements with licensing collectives;- Performs all acts required for copyright clearance;
- Assists in negotiating payment of permission fees;
- Writes clearance documents and correspondence;
- Researches rights and necessary information for clearance;
- Creates and maintains file systems;
- Determines which materials can be cleared under licensing agreements;
- Identifies copyright requests requiring publisher clearance procedures, locates

appropriate copyright holders and requests and secures permission to reproduce
the materials in the desired format and medium;
- Logs and maintains timely payments to licensing collectives and Publishers as

required;
- Maintains statistics for and provides advice to the University in the periodic

re-negotiation of license agreements.
**C. Budget**
Monitors the copyright budget;- Executes payments of contracts;
- Negotiates copyright fees to the best advantage of the University;
- Logs and makes payment to licensing collectives as required;

**D. Monitor, Assess, Problem Solve**
Maintains familiarity with changes in copyright law and interprets these changes
- as they affect University requirements;- Deals with crisis situations regarding copyright and resolves them in the most
- expedient manner;- Using sound judgment, identifies problems and resolves them;
- Monitors clearances to anticipate problems and implements strategies to address

them.

**E. Advise and Liaise**
Provides and participates in decision making on issues involving copyright for

course materials and for other Algoma University uses, and on issues related to
copyright of Algoma University property such as trademarks, logos, and written
materials;
- Advises course developers and course managers on specific requirements for

course copyright clearance including alerting the course manager to
extraordinary situations and expensive clearances;
- Provides external liaison for general copyright inquiries, visitors to the University,

external surveys, etc.;
- Maintains membership on the abccopyright listserv.

**WORKING CONDITIONS**:

- **Physical Effort Required**

*** Moderate: extensive time spent in the same position (e.g. sitting at a computer)
- **Physical Environment**

*** Minimal: little exposure to disagreeabl