As we move into a technological era
where intellectual property can be copied easily and exactly. It is important
to understand the parameters the Canadian government has set with the Copyright Act in 1921. This Act has been
amended a couple of times. Bills have brought to government numerous times but
had not passed because of political opposition. The recent revision Bill C-11 Copyright Modernization Act passed
legislation in 2012.
Under this Act we have the
guidelines to ensure others are not allowed to use work without permission.
This Act protects owner’s right of their copyrighted works.
Copyrighted as cited, “applies to
performers’ performances sound recordings and communication signals, through
the applicable rights may differ somewhat.
- Copyright 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.
However there are other rights granted for Intellectual Property
(IP):
- Patents cover new and useful inventions (product,
composition, machine, process) or any new and useful improvement to an
existing invention.
- Trademarks may be one or a combination of words, sounds or
designs used to distinguish the goods or services of one person or
organization from those of others.
- Industrial designs are the visual features of
shape, configuration, pattern or ornament, or any combination of these
features applied to a finished article.
- Integrated circuit topographies are the three-dimensional
configurations of electronic circuits embodied in integrated circuit
products or layout designs.” (Canadian Property Intellectual Office, 2016)
Copyright
protects owner’s IP as cited “original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic
works provided the conditions set out in the Copyright Act have been
met. Each of these general categories covers a wide range of creations,
including:
- literary works such as books, pamphlets, computer
programs and other works consisting of text
- dramatic works such as motion picture films,
plays, screenplays and scripts
- musical works such as compositions with or
without words
- artistic works such as paintings, drawings, maps,
photographs, sculptures and plans
Copyright
also applies to other subject-matter consisting of:
- performers' performances, meaning any of the
following:
- a performance of an artistic,
dramatic or musical work, whether or not the work was previously recorded
and whether or not the work's term of copyright protection has expired
- a recitation or reading of a
literary work, whether or not the work's term of copyright protection has
expired
- an improvisation of a
dramatic, musical or literary work, whether or not the improvised work is
based on a pre-existing work
·
sound
recordings, meaning recordings consisting of sounds, whether or not a performance
of a work, but excluding any soundtrack of a cinematographic work where it
accompanies the cinematographic work
·
communication
signals, meaning radio waves transmitted through space without any artificial
guide, for reception by the public”. (Canadian Property Intellectual Office, 2016)
You can register your IP with Canadian Intellectual
Property but do not send your works. They want your application online see link
below:
or mail. The prices ranges from ($50 to 65 dollars and
if you send by mail and it is not an online application an additional $15 is
charged) (“Standard fees for copyrights,” 2016)
The length of property protection follows a 50 rule. As cited, “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 that calendar year. (Canadian Property Intellectual Office, 2016)
References
