Copyright

So here I am again with another little investigation into an aspect of Intellectual Property. I'm currently looking into copyright, for a specific work application, so I thought this might be useful.


According to "Canadian Intellectual Property Law for Dummies" (ISBN 978-470-73681-4), "copyrights are probably the easiest to understand."

"Copyright" is simply the right to copy. Only the owner of copyright, usually the creator of the work, is allowed to produce or reproduce the work in question. This applies to literary, dramatic, musical, artistic or scientific items.

Holding copyright (or the right to reproduce or copy) means that the owner is the only person who can copy the work. That being said, the copyright can also be licensed to someone else. A copyright holder may assign his/her/its (it may be an enterprise) copyright, license it, or use it for funding. A copyright licence may be restricted by territory, time, media, purpose, or by almost any other factor agreed to by both parties.

Copyright owners may collect royalties for use of their copyright through performing rights' societies, collectives, publishing houses, or directly through contracts.

In Canada, copyright generally lasts for the life of the originator and 50 years after his/her death. One obtains copyright automatically in Canada when one creates an original work. Canadian copyright is recognized in many other countries under various treaties. One does not have to register one's copyright, but it may be useful evidence of ownership.

Registering your work is not necessary in Canada. You can mark your work with a (c) without registering it. Applying for copyright registration is a quick and easy process -- having a certificate of registration makes your life much easier, because the onus of proof will now be on your opponent.

You'll want to talk to the folks at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), to do that.


OK, that's probably enough for now. I've been thinking I should probably develop myself a plan to keep doing this and line up some topics for discussion.

(Oh, and by the way, this information was drawn from a variety of sources, including Canadian Intellectual Property Law for Dummies, CIPO's web site, and a presentation I've been working with (on) for the past few months.)