Q. Are students allowed to bring a complete photocopy of a textbook to class?

No, absolutely not.

Complete copying of a textbook violates Canadian copyright laws and Seneca's Copyright Policy. Note that a photocopy of a textbook is not the same as a printed copy of an eTextbook. More on that below.

How should faculty handle textbook copyright violations?

We recommend you inform students at the beginning of each term that copied textbooks cannot be brought into class nor be used during an exam. If you become aware of a student using a photocopy of a textbook during the course of the term you should inform the student that the copied textbook cannot be brought to class.

Although alleged copyright material cannot be taken from the person without a proper investigation, Seneca has the right to prohibit the use of the material in-question until an investigation of the incident has been completed.

Notify the Seneca Libraries Copyright Team of the suspected infraction including the student's name, student number, title of the material in-question, author(s), and ISBN. Through the Student Conduct Centre a letter will be sent to the student informing him or her that this is a violation of Seneca's Copyright Policy and should not be repeated.

What's the difference between an eTextbook printout and an infringing photocopy of a textbook?

Some publishers allow purchasers of their digital textbooks to print them, and students may bring their printed eText to your class. All eTextbooks print with a unique watermark on the page which may include the purchaser's name.