Decoding Canadian Copyright: A Comprehensive Guide to Effortlessly Protect Creators' Rights

Guide on Canadian Copyright Registration

On the path to protecting original works, Canada's copyright policies offer creators solid legal protection. This article will explore in-depth the types of copyright registration in Canada, the duration of protection, necessary information, and registration fees, providing you with a comprehensive understanding for your copyright applications.

Types of Works Eligible：

Copyright is a form of intellectual property protection granted to original literary, musical, dramatic, and artistic works. Copyright owners enjoy several rights, including the right to prevent others from reproducing their work or copying substantial parts of it.
Copyright law also applies to performers’ performances, sound recordings, and communication signals.

Ideas, facts, short titles and single-word titles, as well as works not fixed in a tangible form (that is, works not written or recorded in some permanent format), are not protected by copyright. In addition, works that lack “originality”—that is, those that do not demonstrate skill and judgment in their creation—are not eligible for copyright protection.
 

Term:

In general, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author, plus the remainder of the calendar year in which the author dies, and an additional seventy years after the end of that year. Therefore, the term of protection expires at the end of the seventieth year following the author’s death.

Canadian copyright law does not require the use of a copyright notice (©) for a work to be protected. However, adding a copyright notice to a work offers irreplaceable benefits. For example, it serves as a deterrent against unauthorized copying and reminds others that copyright has been claimed. In litigation, a copyright symbol may also serve as evidence to refute a defense of “innocent infringement.” Furthermore, since some jurisdictions require that works bear a copyright notice, it is advisable to include one when publishing a work online or distributing it to audiences abroad.

A typical copyright notice includes the symbol ©, the name of the copyright owner, and the year of first publication, for example: “© Jane Doe, 2019.” Even if a work has not been formally registered, the copyright symbol may still be used.
 

Information Required for Copyright Registration in Canada:

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) does not require submission of a copy of the work when registering a copyright. Neither at the time of filing a copyright application nor after registration does CIPO accept copies of the work accompanying the application. CIPO does not verify or examine the statements made in a copyright registration application and cannot guarantee the legality of the work, ownership, authorship, or originality.

Fees: