All Questions
39
questions
16
votes
4
answers
7k
views
How can I make a fan game entirely legally?
I would like to make a video game based on IP I do not own. I understand that there are many legal issues with this and it seems that most of the answers online are either “you can never do it” or “...
- 163
2
votes
1
answer
307
views
Under Canadian law, how is the usage of “Steamboat Willie” (or specifically, Mickey Mouse) restricted in Canada?
“Steamboat Willie” came under public domain recently in the US. And as far as I understand, it went under public domain a few years ago in Canada. Based off of the research I’ve done, a Canada user ...
1
vote
1
answer
145
views
Is it copyright infringement to send a message with a trivial photograph you don't own
Say for example you want to convey a detail to someone of a common object, and showing them a picture would be a lot simpler than describing it in words. Would it be illegal to download an image from ...
- 215
6
votes
1
answer
987
views
Benefits of registering copyright - Should I register or not?
I have a question regarding copyright registration in Canada. From what I read, it is not mandatory to register copyright in Canada. But at the same time, some folks suggest you should register your ...
- 203
1
vote
1
answer
441
views
What exactly is the difference between owning something and having a license with no restrictions?
If someone owns something does that mean they are free to do with it whatever they want, as long as they don't break the law? Or can someone own something with additional restrictions imposed on it? ...
- 215
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is it legal to put a photo of someone else's art on Facebook?
I was in a building that is publicly accessible and I took a photo of paintings they had hanging on the wall.
Is it legal for me to post it on social media such as Facebook, or would this be copyright ...
- 215
-1
votes
2
answers
113
views
Question about US law being sued in Canada
Suppose a Canadian subscription website is created providing valuable information on certain properties of a product to consumers.
Unfortunately, a mistake was made where some images on the website ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
82
views
Do Canadian courts distinguish copyright infringement from scientific plagiarism?
Do Canadian courts distinguish copyright infringement from scientific plagiarism?
Since 1997, the Canadian Copyright Act allows plaintiffs suing for
copyright infringement to elect to recover ...
- 5,180
1
vote
1
answer
235
views
Playing copyrighted music legally -> personal and small group usage
I play guitar. I just want to know what is legal or not regarding my playing copyrighted music. I understand that performing in public (whatever that means!? Formal event? More than just me? Other?))...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
138
views
Do countries that are not members of the Berne Convention still enjoy the benefits it provides?
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, is an international agreement governing copyright, which was first accepted in Berne, ...
- 2,060
1
vote
1
answer
86
views
Why does digital copyright appear to be less effective than physical copyright?
I frequently hear on the news about enforcement of patent infringements on physical products, such as various types of wrenches, machinery, and toys.
However, I cannot recall a situation where an ...
- 2,060
1
vote
1
answer
99
views
Does Canada allow the use of copyrighted materials for self study?
I was reading into the Canadian copyright law and it says that:
29: Fair dealing for the purpose of research, private study,
education, parody or satire does not infringe copyright
does this allow ...
- 113
3
votes
2
answers
295
views
If the same content is created by more than one person without copying, do all authors have copyright, or just the first author?
In Canada, if person_a creates a copyrightable work, and then later person_b creates (without copying person_a's work) the same work, do both person_a and person_b have copyright, or does only ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
184
views
Can Someone Else's Patent Affect My Copyright?
In Canada, if I hold copyright on a program's code but not a patent on what it does, and someone else patents "what it does", how would this affect my copyright? Lets assume this person did not learn "...
1
vote
1
answer
100
views
Do historical software revisions impact the licensing terms of the latest version of the software?
Hypothetical situation: Our organization developed closed-source commercial software that used open-source libraries whose terms only apply on redistribution. At some point, we decide to open-source ...
- 155