Copyright Registrations
What copyright means ?
Copyright is a type of intellectual property and exclusive legal right that protects original works of authorship. This right includes the production, reproduction, publication or performance of an original literary, dramatic or musical work & many more. In Canada Copyright Certificate issued by Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).This is your ownership certificate for your creative or intellectual property.
How to protect your Copyright?
Canada copyright act protects any original work and protects the creator or artist from having other people recreate their work.
What copyright protects?
Copyright applies to any or all original literary, dramatic, musical and inventive works as long as the conditions set out in the Copyright Act are met. Including:
Literary Works: includes books, pamphlets, essays, dictionaries, lectures, speeches, computer programs, and other works of text.
Dramatic Works: includes movies, plays, screenplays, scripts, characters, scenes, dialogue, and any other dramatic work.
Musical Works: any composition with or without words.
Artistic Works: includes paintings, drawings, maps, photographs, sculptures, engravings, and other forms of visual art.
Performance Works: includes performances, recitations, readings, and improvisations.
Sound Recordings Communication Signals: meaning radio waves transmitted through space without any artificial guide, for reception by the public
Web material: Websites, databases and other original creative work that created with knowledge or skill.
Who is a copyright owner?
Once you create an original work and fix it, you are the author and the owner.
Copyright Act allows Company, organization, and other people ownership through “works made for hire,” that means any works created by an employee within the scope of employment are owned by the employer.
Copyright ownership can also come from contracts like assignments or from other types of transfers like wills and bequests.
What conditions apply for a Copyright
1.It must be an original work or creation.
2.Author must have been a permanent resident or citizen of Canada at the time of creation
3. If the author was not a Canadian citizen but copyright also applies when a work is first published in a treaty country (a Berne Convention Country, a Universal Copyright Convention Country, or a World Trade Organization member.
How long does copyright protection last?
Generally, copyright lasts for the lifetime of the author and for another 50 years after the end of the calendar year of the author’s death. After that period ends, the work comes into the public domain and can be used by anyone without permission.
What Can’t Register?
Works that are not fixed in a material form or not physically presented (Ideas, facts, short and one-word titles)
Unoriginal works
Non-permanent things like brief live broadcasts, short spoken sentences, or spontaneous speeches.
When can I use works that are not mine?
While a permission from the copyright owner is required to reproduce. Even if you are not the owner of a work, you still may be able to use it by buying, licensing or seeking permission to use the work. You can also use works that are in the public domain
How to register a Copyright?
Copyright exists automatically in an original work of authorship once it is created or fixed, but a copyright owner can take steps to enhance the protections by registering copyright. In Canada, Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), administrate and process of intellectual property rights, including the registration of copyrights.
Copyright in foreign country level
Actually, there is no international copyright registration system, it varies by countries. there are international treaties and conventions, such as the Berne Convention and the WIPO Copyright Treaty, that may extend copyright protection in foreign jurisdictions without having to obtain copyright registration.