TO: All MUNFA Members
FROM: The MUNFA Executive Committee
DATE: August 29, 2023
SUBJECT: Use of Recording Devices in Classrooms
With the start of a new academic year upon us it is worth mentioning again that Academic Staff Members (ASMs) have the right to prohibit the audio taping and video taping of their lectures. This is predicated on the fact that lectures are intellectual property and may not be copied or distributed without permission.
If you wish to prohibit unauthorized recording of your lectures, we encourage you to incorporate the following statement in course syllabi and/or material handed out at the beginning of the term and/or at each lecture:
The lectures and displays (and all material) delivered or provided in <course number: course title by Professor Name>, including any visual or audio recording thereof, are subject to copyright owned by <Professor Name>. It is prohibited to record or copy by any means, in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in part, in the absence of express written permission from <Professor Name> any of the lectures or materials provided or published in any form during or from the course.
We acknowledge that it may be difficult to impose meaningful consequences for breach of this obligation, but still believe that the statement provides some protection even if only on a moral or ethical plane. If you have any questions, or if you experience unauthorized recording of lectures or other course material, please contact the MUNFA office (munfa@mun.ca).
