No implied licence
You should assume there is copyright in all material made available on the internet unless the term of copyright has expired (in most cases this means that the author has been dead more than fifty years). There is no implied licence or permission to copy just because material is made available on the internet. If you wish to print out material from the internet to supply to students check the terms and conditions that accompany the content or find the website Terms of Use or Copyright Page to determine whether you are allowed to do this. If material is freely available, it is important to read the terms to see what if any conditions apply. For example, you may be free to download and print multiple copies of a work as long as you use it for education purposes and as long as the author is properly credited. If you cannot find any licence terms, you need to get permission from the copyright holder. If it is not clear who to contact to seek permission for your use, contact the website proprietor in the first instance.
Streaming
Generally it is not an infringement of copyright to view a live broadcast online although this depends on whether it is being streamed legitimately. This can be determined by observing the quality of the transmission and whether you are aware that someone else has exclusive broadcast rights for the material.
Storing webpages for educational purposes
Under the Copyright Act, certain copyright works are “copied” when they are stored on a computer. The Act gives educational establishments permission to store webpages for educational purposes under certain conditions (refer elsewhere in the knowledge base for further information). Students and teachers may access content on the stored page only through a verification process (such as a user password).
This exception is for educational purposes and does not allow webpages or the content on them to be printed for supply to students.
Providing URL links
A simple way to provide internet content to students is to provide them with a URL link to the relevant material so they can access content directly. As you are not actually copying materials there is no risk of copyright infringement.
Open access
Open access licensing is becoming more prevalent as more material is sourced from the internet. An open access licence is where the copyright owner has made it known that you may use their copyright material without needing to ask and usually without requirement that a licence fee be paid. It is important that you adhere to any terms and conditions when printing or communicating content sourced under an open access licence.
Teaching an online course
If you wish to teach an online course (such as a massive open online course (MOOC)), particular care is needed if you are copying and communicating third party copyright material. MOOC courses embody the open access philosophy so courses are available to anyone with an internet connection. When teaching an online course, teachers cannot rely on collective or subscription licences which require content to be communicated to students in a secure, password protected environment. It is advisable to use open access or public domain content where possible where teaching an open access course, or to seek permission where third party copyright material is reproduced.