6 Copyright

Copyright definition

In Canada, copyright is defined as “sole right to produce or reproduce a work or a substantial part of it in any form” and it “provides protection for literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works (including computer programs) and other subject-matter known as performer’s performances, sound recordings and communication signals.”^[1]

For more information about copyright, please contact the NSCC Copyright Office.

Copyright and Creative Commons

Using a Creative Commons license does not negate copyright – it modifies the terms of copyright, allowing others to use and modify a work  as long as they include attribution. In other words use is dependant on recognizing the intellectual property of the copyright holder(s).

“CC licenses are copyright licenses, and depend on the existence of copyright to work. CC licenses are legal tools that creators and other rights holders can use to offer certain usage rights to the public, while reserving other rights.”^[2]