Copyright+Basics



__WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?__ In laymens terms what is a copyright?, "copyright" means "the right to copy." In general, only the copyright owner, in most cases the creator of the work, is allowed to produce or reproduce the work or to permit anyone else to use it. Copyright in its simplest form is the right of a creator of a body of work to prevent others from using it without permission. A creator of a work has the right to give permission or not to various uses of a work such as reproducing it (e.g., photocopying and scanning it into a computer), adapting and translating it, transmitting it and performing it in public.

__WHAT IS COVERED BY COPYRIGHT?__ Copyright applies to all original, dramatic, musical, artistic and literary works (including computer programs). It also applies to performances, communication signals and sound recordings.

__COPYRIGHT PROTECTION__ Copyright exists automatically when an original work is created; however, registration gives you a certificate that states that you are the owner, which can be used in court as evidence of ownership.

__HOW LONG DO COPYRIGHTS LAST?__ The general rule is that copyright lasts for the life of the author, the remainder of the calendar year in which the author dies, and for 50 years following the end of the calendar year.

__IF THERE'S NO COPYRIGHT NOTICE, IS THE WORK PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT?__ Yes. Copyright protection is automatic upon the creation of a work. It is not necessary to register a work, mark it with the c in a circle, or deposit it in a copyright registry. However, there is a voluntary registration scheme through the Canadian Copyright Office where one can register a copyright work.

__IF A PHOTOGRAPH IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND HAS THE COPYRIGHT SYMBOL (THE "C" IN A CIRCLE), IS IT STILL PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT?__ Within Canada, copyright protection is automatic upon the creation of a body of work. The copyright symbol is used to remind the public that copyright exists in the work and for protection in certain other countries. However, use of the symbol will not extend the duration of protection of a work in the public domain

__IS AN APPLICATION FOR COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION EFFECTIVE AS SOON AS THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE RECEIVES IT?__ Although the registration process usually takes six to eight weeks, registration is effective when the application is accepted by the Copyright Office, whether at the time of filing or after any required amendments are made by the applicant. Keep in mind that copyright protection is automatic upon creation of a work in a fixed form, and registration is voluntary in Canada.

__COPY LEFT__ One form of rampant lawlessness on the Internet consists of copyright infringement, that is, the unauthorized copying and distribution of material created and owned by others. Given the scope of the problem, a number of movements to mitigate copyright infringement on the Internet have begun. One such movement involves the use of digital tools and legal action to prohibit copyright infringement. Another movement, copyleft, seeks to build a richer public domain and change the assignment of rights from the automatic "all rights reserved" to a more egalitarian version dubbed "some rights reserved." At the forefront of this second movement is Creative Commons, a web-based intellectual property sharing schema developed by a consortium headed by Professor Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law School.

Internal link to page Copyright Info for Teachers: Copyright Information for Teachers