How long does copyright last?
Answer
In Canada, copyright generally lasts for the life of the creator plus 50 years as of December in the year that the creator dies. Bill C-19 extended the term of copyright protection from 50 to 70 years after the life of the author. Works that were in the public domain as of December 30, 2022 are not affected by this change. The length of copyright protection depends on the type of work, whether the work was created by an individual, corporation, or a federal or provincial government, the date of creation, and the date of publication.
Note: This answer comes from the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Copyright website, and provides educational information, not legal advice.
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Comments (1)
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On December 31, 2022, the term of copyright was changed to 70 years from the end of the year when the copyright holder died. Any works that entered public domain prior to 2022 will remain in the public domain (in Canada; each country has their own term definition). In Canada, no new works will enter public domain for the next 20 years. Note: some specific works have different terms. Performances and sound recordings are set at 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the performance was fixed.
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