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Copyright definition

In Canada, copyright is defined as the “sole right to produce or reproduce a work or a substantial part of it in any form” and it “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.”

Copyright and Creative Commons

You might remember that in the VLS expression of interest, contributors were asked to agree that all work produced be licensed with at the minimum The Ontario Commons License.

Using a Creative Commons (CC) license does not negate copyright – it modifies the terms of copyright, allowing others to use a work with attribution, that is, while recognizing the intellectual property of the copyright holder(s). As Creative Commons states, “CC licenses are copyright licenses, and depend on the existence of copyright to work. CC licenses are legal tools that creators and other rights holders can use to offer certain usage rights to the public, while reserving other rights.”

The video below discusses how Creative Commons licenses allow creators to modify copyright terms.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/25684782

Creative Commons Kiwi from Creative Commons Aotearoa NZ on Vimeo.