Understanding Copyright - The Basics PDF
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This guide provides an introduction to copyright and copyright registration under Canadian law. It covers the protection of creative works, the purpose of the Copyright Act, and distinctions between copyright and other forms of intellectual property (IP).
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nderstandingcopyright—The U basics hisguideisintendedasanintroductiontocopyrightandcopyright T registration.Itisnotacompletetextonthelawregardingcopyright. leasenotethat,ifyourparticularsituationrequiresspecificlegal P a...
nderstandingcopyright—The U basics hisguideisintendedasanintroductiontocopyrightandcopyright T registration.Itisnotacompletetextonthelawregardingcopyright. leasenotethat,ifyourparticularsituationrequiresspecificlegal P advice,youshouldconsultalawyerspecializinginintellectualproperty (IP)law,oralegalclinicfocusedonIP. Protectyourvaluablecreations poem,painting,musicalscore,computerprogram—allarevaluable A creations,althoughperhapsnoonecanmeasuretheirworth.Some worksmayearnalotofmoneyinthemarketplace,whileothersearn noneatall. hepurposeoftheCopyrightActistofurtherthepublicinterestby T promotingthecreationanddisseminationofworksoftheartsand intellect,andtoallowcreatorsajustrewardfortheircreations. egardlessoftheirmeritorcommercialvalue,Canadianlawprotects R alloriginalliterary,dramatic,musicalandartisticworks,providedthe conditionssetoutintheCopyrightActhavebeenmet.Thismeans thatifyouownthecopyrighttoapoem,songorotheroriginalwork, youhaverightsbuttheserightsarebalancedwithvariousconditions andexceptionstocopyrightwhichlimititslengthandapplicability undercertainconditions. eoplesometimesconfusecopyrightwithpatents,trademarks, P industrialdesignsandintegratedcircuittopographies.Likecopyright, theseareformsofIPandarecoveredintheirownlegislativeacts. ormoreinformationondifferenttypesofIP,consulttheCanadian F IntellectualPropertyOffice(CIPO)'sEducation,tools,andresources section. Copyright:Definitionandapplicability opyrightappliestooriginalliterary,dramatic,musicalandartistic C worksthatareinafixedmaterialform(i.e.,written,recorded)and meansthatacopyrightownerhas: thesolerighttoproduceorreproducethatworkorasubstantial partofitinanymaterialform thesolerighttoperformthatworkoranysubstantialpartofitin public iftheworkisunpublished,therighttopublishitorany substantialpartofit opyrightprotectionappliestoalloriginalliterary,dramatic,musical C andartisticworksprovidedtheconditionssetoutinsection5ofthe CopyrightActhavebeenmet.Eachofthesegeneralcategories coversawiderangeofcreations,including: literaryworkssuchasbooks,pamphlets,computerprograms, softwareandotherworksconsistingoftext dramaticworkssuchasmotionpicturefilms,plays,screenplays andscripts musicalworkssuchasmusicalcompositionswithorwithout words artisticworkssuchaspaintings,drawings,maps,photographs, sculpturesandplans opyright'sbalancemeansitissubjecttocertainexceptions,which C arefoundthroughoutPartIIIoftheCopyrightAct.Theseexceptions allowcopyrightedworkstobecopiedwithoutauthorizationorpayment undercertainconditionsorforspecificpurposes(forexample: ducationalpurposes,shiftingaworkfromanobsoleteformtoa e modernform,orforaccessibilitypurposes).Formoreinformationon exceptionswithintheCopyrightActandtodetermineiftheyare applicabletoyou,pleaseconsultalawyerspecializinginIPlaw,ora legalclinicfocusedonIP. opyrightalsoappliestoothersubject-matter,asdescribedbelow, C thoughtheassociatedrightsmaydiffersomewhat. Performers'performances,meaninganyofthefollowing: ○ aperformanceofanartistic,dramaticormusicalwork, whetherornottheworkwaspreviouslyrecordedand whetherornotthework'stermofcopyrightprotectionhas expired ○ arecitationorreadingofaliterarywork,whetherornotthe work'stermofcopyrightprotectionhasexpired ○ animprovisationofadramatic,musicalorliterarywork, whetherornottheimprovisedworkisbasedona pre-existingwork soundrecordings,meaningrecordingsconsistingofsounds, whetherornotaperformanceofawork,butexcludingany soundtrackofacinematographicworkwhereitaccompaniesthe cinematographicwork communicationsignals,meaningradiowavestransmitted throughspacewithoutanyartificialguide,forreceptionbythe public ormoredetailedinformationaboutrightsandexceptionsrelatingto F subject-matterotherthanworks,pleaseconsultPartIIofthe CopyrightAct,R.S.C.,1985,c.C-42orconsultalawyerspecializing inIPlaw,oralegalclinicfocusedonIP. Theconditionsforcopyright Works neoftheconditionsforcopyrightisthatwheretheauthorofthe O workmusthavebeen,atthedateofthemakingofthework,acitizen orsubjectof,orapersonordinarilyresidentin,Canadaoracountry withwhichCanadahascertaintreatyobligations.(Atreatycountryis definedasaBerneConventioncountry,aUniversalCopyright ConventioncountryoraWorldTradeOrganizationmember.)For moreinformation,pleaseconsultsection5oftheCopyrightActor seekassistancefromalawyerspecializinginIPlaworalegalclinic focusedonIP. Subject-matterotherthanworks ordetailedinformationabouthowCanadiancopyrightlawprotects F performers'performances,soundrecordingsandcommunication signals,pleaseconsultPartIIoftheCopyrightAct,orseekthe assistanceofalawyerspecializinginIPlaw,oralegalclinicfocused onIP. Benefitsofregistration heCopyrightActstatesthatacertificateofregistrationofcopyright T isevidencethatthecopyrightsubsistsandthatthepersonregistered istheownerofthecopyright.Thisevidencemaybechallengedina courtproceeding. InadministeringtheCopyrightRegistry,CIPOdoesnotverifyor examinetheclaimsmadeinapplicationsforcopyrightregistration. Likewise,itisnotresponsibleformonitoringregisteredworksandhow peopleusethem,anditcannotguaranteethelegitimacy,ownership, authorshipororiginalityofawork. Termofprotection enerally,copyrightlastsforthelifeoftheauthor,theremainderof G thecalendaryearinwhichtheauthordies,andfor70yearsfollowing theendofthatcalendaryear.Therefore,protectionwillexpireatthe endofthe70thcalendaryearaftertheauthordies. eforeDecember30,2022,thegeneraltermofprotectionwas50 B yearsafterthedeathoftheauthor.OnDecember30,2022,thisterm wasextendedto70yearsafterthedeathoftheauthor.Theextension ofthistermdoesnothavetheeffectofrevivingcopyrightinworksfor whichprotectionexpiredpriortoJanuary1,2023. herearesomeexceptionstothegeneraltermofcopyright T protection,including: rowncopyright C worksofjointauthorship workswheretheidentityoftheauthorisunknown posthumousworks,i.e.,worksthathavenotbeenpublished, performedinpublicorcommunicatedtothepublicby telecommunicationduringtheauthor'slifetime subject-matterotherthanworks(suchasperformer's performances,soundrecordingsandcommunicationsignals) ormoreinformation,pleaseconsulttheCopyrightActorseekthe F assistanceofalawyerspecializinginIPlaw,oralegalclinicfocused onIP. WorksofCrowncopyright rowncopyrightappliestogovernmentworks(preparedorpublished C byorunderthedirectionorcontroloftheCrown).Copyrightinthese workslastsfortheremainderofthecalendaryearinwhichtheworkis firstpublishedandfor50yearsafterthat. heGovernmentofCanadahaspoliciesinplacetofacilitateuseof T Crownworksasdisseminationoftheseworksisofteninthepublic interest.TheReproductionofFederalLawOrderallowsreproduction ffederallaws,regulationsandcourtdecisionsundercertain o conditions.Federalwebsitesanddocumentsmayhavepolicies regardingtheuse(s)ofsuchworksthatmaybeconsultedtobetter understandallowableuses. Applyingforregistrationofcopyright indstep-by-stepinstructionsonpreparingandfilingyourapplication F forregistrationonourRegistrationofcopyrightpage. Fees isitCIPO'sfeespagefordetailsoncopyrightregistrationfeesor V contacttheClientServiceCentreforadditionalinformationand guidance. CorrespondingwithCIPO VisitCIPO'scorrespondenceprocedurespageformoreinformation. orinformationonhowtocorrecterrorswithyourcopyright F applicationorregistration,pleaserefertotheRequestingacertificate ofcorrectionpage. Electronicservices isitCIPO'sformspagetofindoutaboutservicesofferedonlineand V toaccessformsyoucancompleteandsendbyregularmailorby facsimile.
