Copyright Act Protections: Who Qualifies and What You Get
Understand how original content is legally protected and where the limits of those legal ownership rights lie.
This scheme provides legal ownership and protection for original creative works produced by creators in Canada.
Who it's for
This protection is available to all content creators. If you are producing original work, you fall under these protections.
What you get
You receive legal ownership of your original stream content. This means you hold the intellectual property rights to the materials you create, ensuring that your original expressions are recognized under the law.
What it costs you
The protection itself is free because it is granted to you automatically as soon as your work is created. You do not need to pay a fee to own the rights to your original content. However, it is important to note that if you need to take legal steps to defend your rights or enforce your ownership against others, those enforcement actions will cost you money.
The catch to know
While you own your original content, these protections do not protect you from platform-specific rules. Specifically, this does not protect you from receiving DMCA strikes or similar penalties on streaming platforms if your content includes copyrighted music owned by someone else.
How to apply
- Focus on producing original content that you have created yourself.
- Recognize that your ownership begins automatically upon the creation of the work.
- If you have questions regarding your intellectual property, consult the official resources provided by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.