Copyright permissions on re-using published material in schools and colleges have been temporarily increased during lockdown, following efforts by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), the Books Council of Wales and the publishing industry.
The CLA announced on 9 February 2021 that, following consultation with their members, there will be a temporary increase in the copying limit in the Education Licence from the current 5% to 20% until 31 March 2021.
And the Books Council of Wales has made special arrangements with some of the country’s main publishers to make it easier for teachers to use their material during the Covid-19 pandemic.
CLA Education Licence
The temporary changes to the terms of the Licence mean that teachers can copy up to 20% of a print book, owned by the school, including scanned book content held on the school VLE.
The move, which applies to schools, sixth form and further education colleges in the UK, will give teachers and students more flexibility to access resources to support remote learning while schools are closed.
Education Platform users will also be able to copy up to 20% of a digital book available on the CLA’s Platform during this period.
Licensed schools should read the full conditions on the CLA website. The CLA has also published guidelines for teachers explaining their copying rights under the standard terms of the Education Licence.
All Local Education Authorities in Wales are currently registered with the CLA which means that the terms of the Licence are applicable to all their schools.
Publishers’ Permissions in Wales
The Books Council of Wales has also agreed special temporary permissions with a number of publishers in Wales for re-using published material in schools during the pandemic.
The aim is to make it easier for teachers to use content from books to support remote learning, including for example their ability to record and share book readings with pupils.
The terms and conditions of use vary from publisher to publisher, and full details of the temporary permissions agreed in Wales are available on the Books Council’s website.
Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales, said: “This is a challenging time for everyone, and schools in particular who continue to offer a quality education at a time when most pupils are learning from home. In today’s exceptional circumstances, we welcome the CLA’s announcement that copyright permissions are being increased to support educators through the latest lockdown. We are also very grateful to the publishers in Wales for their ready cooperation and support for children’s education, during what is also a difficult time for them as commercial enterprises.”
