The Public’s Domain: CIPPIC Submission on Copyright Term Extension

CIPPIC’s submission (The Public's Domain) to the government consultation on copyright term extension places the public domain at the heart of Canada’s copyright system.  Given the costs of term extension to Canada’s copyright ecosystem, CIPPIC argues for a form of term extension that offers something back in the form of a registry of works.  Copyright is rare among forms of intellectual property in that protection arises automatically without the need to declare one’s rights.  This means that copyright lacks a functional registry akin to the Patent Registry or the Trademarks Registry.  A Copyright Registry would provide Canadians with greater notice of both protected content and content soon to join the public domain.

CIPPIC articling student Bo Kruk co-authored the submission with David Fewer and with research assistance from CIPPIC interne Nadine Eltawdy.