Photocopying

For teaching purposes university and its teachers are allowed to make copies of published works by photocopying or by other similar method in accordance with collective licenses (Article 13 of the Copyright Act).

If a student independently takes copies for own private use and studies the provisions of private use may be applied to the stuedent’s use. See Private use.

License which is made between Kopiosto ry and the Ministry of Education and Culture covers photocopying at universities. The license states:

  • The license covers photocopying which is carried out by the teacher so that the copies are distributed to the students as part of the institute’s teaching services without separate compensation. The license does not cover photocopying if separate reimbursement is collected from the students or if the educational institution collects reimbursement for its services. (See later license for teaching when the university collects reimbursement)
  • Making copies of works to computer readable form or recording of sound or moving picture is not regarded as photocopying.
  • The license covers also printing form digital sources and making or having made copies from such print outputs by photocopying or similar means.
  • The license covers also photographs but not slides or transparencies.
  • Photocopies may be used when ordinary teaching material is not available and in addition to that. Use of printed material is considered primary to photocopying. The maximum amount of copies per one photocopying event is the amount of students plus a few extra copies for the teacher.
  • During one term or academic year 20 pages at the maximum of the same work or the same publication containing works but not more than half the publication can be photocopied for the same students to be used as teaching material. Using this method you are allowed to photocopy for the university’s research purposes for each person participating in research and to the institute’s archive.

No more than 10 pages may be photocopied of publications containing notes. Choir, band and orchestra notes may be photocopied only for teaching music theory and for research purposes.

For administration purposes 20 pages at the maximum of each work or publication containing works but not more than half of the publication may be copied. As many copies as is required to do the task appropriately can be made. Separate notes or notebooks may not be photocopied.

  • Work, exercise or answer books may not be photocopied even partly. In distance education the student may, however, photocopy answers he has made in his work or exercise book in order to send them to the teacher for checking, provided the student has the book in his possession. The teacher is also allowed in distance education to photocopy a model answer in the answer book in order to send it to the student, provided the teacher has the book in his possession.
  • When photocopies of protected works are used the name of the creator or photographer has to be informed in accordance with good custom. It is usually sufficient that the teacher informs what the source is when distributing the copies. The best way, however, is to put the reference to the copies or attach copy of the title page to the distributed copies.

University of Helsinki has made an agreement with Kopiosto ry also for teaching where reimbursement is collected from the student. This license states:

  • The license does not cover work-, exercise- or answer books or compositions
  • The right holder has right to forbid the use. Such denials can be seen at Kopiosto’s webpage (in Finnish).
  • 20 pages at the maximum of the same work or the same publication containing works but not more than half the publication can be photocopied to be used at the same course. When photocopies are used the name of the creator or photographer has to be informed in accordance with good custom.
  • Agreement is not applied to units of open university or supplementary education as such units have a separate agreement.

Teaching where reimbursement is collected can be at hand in situations

  • where students have to pay for teaching material
  • where copies are taken with copying cards and the activity is issued by the teacher