What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of legal protection that affords the copyright owner the exclusive rights to, among other things:
- Reproduce (copy)
- Distribute
- Publicly perform
- Publicly display
- Create "derivative works" (such as translations, revisions, other modifications)
Without permission from the copyright owner, or an applicable exception such as Fair Dealing under the Copyright Act, it is a violation of copyright law to exercise any of the copyright owner's exclusive rights.
For additional information on copyright literacy, see Mohawk College Library's Copyright for Faculty Guide.
National and Local Copyright Policy
Under the Copyright Act of Canada, the author of the work is generally the owner of the copyright. However, if a work is created within the scope of the author's employment, the employer holds the copyright unless there is an agreement to the contrary.
Note: subject matter created as part of an employee's assigned tasks at Mohawk College becomes the intellectual property of Mohawk College according to the College's Intellectual Property Policy but there are exceptions for work done under contract, etc. Be sure to check with your manager or Associate Dean before making any Mohawk College materials open.
Copyright Exceptions and Limitations:
- Public Domain: works in the public domain are released from copyright protection due to expiration of their copyright, or by designation by the copyright holder. This content may be used in any way by anyone. In Canada, with some exceptions, copyright expires 70 years after the death of the creator.
- Fair Dealing: in 2012, the Copyright Act of Canada was amended to add education as a purpose of Fair Dealing. Fair Dealing allows for certain uses of copyright protected works. See the Fair Dealing guide for more information.