Public Domain

34. Are there any databases of materials that I can use for free without worrying about copyright restrictions?

Yes. There is a wealth of material out there that either is in the public domain or is available under what is known as a Creative Commons licence, which generally means the work is available for free but is subject to certain limited conditions, such as non-commercial use only and acknowledgement of the creator.

16. Are there special rules for scanning copyrighted materials?

If you want to scan something, you may do so only if the use falls within one of the exceptions in the Copyright Act (such as fair dealing) or when no permission is required (such as scanning a work that is in the public domain).

03. How long does copyright last?

How long copyright lasts depends on the country a work originates from and the country a user works in. In Canada, copyright generally lasted for the lifetime of the author, plus 50 years; however, at the end of 2022, the term after an author's death was extended to 70 years to align with current copyright terms in the United States and in many parts of Europe. This general rule can differ depending on factors such as the type of work, the manner of publication, and the date of creation/publication.