Copyright Information
In Canada, copyright is automatically added to anything that is created by a person. As soon as a person takes a photo, it is covered under copyright by the creator and generally lasts until 70 years after the creator's death. Copyright means the photo cannot be used by another person without the creator's permission.
Important changes to Canada’s copyright legislation came into affect on December 31, 2022, which updated the timing of works entering into the public domain from 50 to 70 years. This brought Canada's copyright laws in line with the US and Europe's copyright periods. In Canada, if the creator of a work died in 1972 or after, their works are copyrighted until 70 years after their death. If the creator died in 1971 or before, their works are copyrighted until 50 years after their death.
What is copyright-free?
Copyright-free means a work that is not protected by copyright. In Canada, there are two main ways a work is copyright-free:
- The copyright for a work has expired.
- The owner of the work has permanently waived their rights to enforce copyright.
What is public domain?
Public Domain is any work that is not protected by copyright law in Canada. This means any work in the Public Domain can be used, copied or adapted without any restrictions by the creator. It is incorrect to assume anything available on the internet is in the Public Domain; each photo may have copyright.
Copyright Guidelines
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