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Copyright in Teaching and Learning at HKU: Course Packs

This online guide aims to raise awareness of copyright policies and guidelines at HKU while offering valuable training resources on copyright and intellectual property.

What is a course pack?

A course pack is a compilation of photocopied extracts of licensed materials, designed in advance to be used in support of a course of study.

Who to contact for course pack production in HKU?

Under the auspices of the HUCOM Inter-Institutional Task Force on Reprographic Rights Licensing on Course Packs, HKU signed a license agreement with the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society in December 2004 for the production of course pack materials, effective from 1 January 2005 for a period of two years. The University Libraries is responsible for the administration of course pack production under this license agreement. Find out more.

What are the key guidelines stipulated in course pack production?

  • With respect to a course pack, it shall not include copies of extracts from more than thirty (30) works.
  • Each of the instructors and students may receive no more than one (1) set with respect to the course pack.
  • With respect to each issue of newspaper, journal or periodical, no more than one (1) complete article of any length from that issue of newspaper, journal or periodical can be included in any one single course pack in any academic year.
  • With respect to any other licensed materials other than newspapers, journals or periodicals, no more than ten percent (10%) or a chapter of that licensed material, whichever covers the smaller portion of the licensed material, can be included in any one single course pack in any academic year.
  • The licence agreement does not authorize copying from all textbooks (books written in accordance with any syllabus issued by the Hong Kong Curriculum Development Council); some general categories of published materials, such as worksheets, exercises and instruction manuals; as well as some specific publishers and works themselves.
  • Click here for License Agreement between HKRRLS (Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society) and HUCOM Inter-Institutional Task Force on Reprographic Rights Licensing on Course Packs (December 2004).