Limitations on copyrightability in Canadian copyright law
Copyright law is like having a special "picture" that's just yours, and nobody else can copy it without your permission. But sometimes, you might not have the right to say "no" if someone else copies your picture.
Here are some reasons why someone might be allowed to copy your picture without your permission:
1. Ideas can't be copyrighted - only the way those ideas are expressed. So if someone has a really cool idea for a story or a movie, someone else can take that idea and make their own story or movie based on it.
2. Some things are just too basic or simple to be copyrightable - like a list of information, or a recipe.
3. Sometimes, things are old enough that the copyright has expired. That means it's been so long since the thing was made that nobody owns the picture anymore - it's free for anyone to use.
4. If someone takes your picture and changes it a lot so that it's hardly recognizable as your picture anymore, that might be allowed too. This is called "fair use." For example, let's say you draw a picture of a cat. Someone else might be able to copy it and change it to look like a spaceship with a cat face on it, and that would be okay.
5. People can also use your picture if they need to for certain reasons, like education or research. That's to make sure everyone has access to important information, even if it's copyrighted. This is called "fair dealing."
So, even though you have a special picture that's just yours, there are still some times when other people can use it without your permission.
Here are some reasons why someone might be allowed to copy your picture without your permission:
1. Ideas can't be copyrighted - only the way those ideas are expressed. So if someone has a really cool idea for a story or a movie, someone else can take that idea and make their own story or movie based on it.
2. Some things are just too basic or simple to be copyrightable - like a list of information, or a recipe.
3. Sometimes, things are old enough that the copyright has expired. That means it's been so long since the thing was made that nobody owns the picture anymore - it's free for anyone to use.
4. If someone takes your picture and changes it a lot so that it's hardly recognizable as your picture anymore, that might be allowed too. This is called "fair use." For example, let's say you draw a picture of a cat. Someone else might be able to copy it and change it to look like a spaceship with a cat face on it, and that would be okay.
5. People can also use your picture if they need to for certain reasons, like education or research. That's to make sure everyone has access to important information, even if it's copyrighted. This is called "fair dealing."
So, even though you have a special picture that's just yours, there are still some times when other people can use it without your permission.