Copyright Guide
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- Purpose of this guide
- Copyright basics
What is copyright and how does it work?- Ideas, facts and originality
- Digital works
- Duration of copyright
- Public domain
- Using copyrighted works
- Insubstantial/substantial
- Fair dealing
- Fair dealing (Canada) versus Fair use (U.S.)
- Educational exceptions
- Libraries, museums and archives exceptions
- Exception for persons with perceptual disabilities
- Licences
- Creator’s rights for published works
- Text (Print and Electronic)
- Videos and DVDs
- Radio and Television Broadcasts
- Sound Recordings
- Adaptation, Translation and Performance
- Still Images
- Useful Web sites
- Contact
See also:
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This web page is currently being updated to reflect recent changes in Canadian copyright laws, specifically the adoption of the Copyright Modernization Act. For more information on the state of copyright in Canada, see the Government of Canada’s Balanced Copyright website. |
Copyright basics - What is copyright and how does it work?
In Canada, copyright is governed by the Copyright Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42) which regulates the use and reproduction of intellectual and artistic creations.
Copyright protects works from being copied, performed or distributed without the permission of the copyright holder, usually the author or the creator of the work, and provides exceptions for special circumstances.
Copyright automatically applies to original works such as books, articles, videos, music, paintings, photographs, digital works, broadcasts and performances.
