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Museum Studies: Images

Artistic works and copyright

Canadian Copyright law protects creative endeavours by ensuring that the creator has the sole right to authorize their publication, performance or reproduction. Among artistic works, copyright applies to all original paintings, drawings, maps, photographs, and sculptures.

Protection under copyright laws is automatic in Canada: as soon as an original work has been written down, recorded or entered as a computer file, it is immediately copyright-protected.

Copyright entitlement generally endures for the lifetime of the creator, the remainder of the calendar year in which the creator dies, and for 50 years after the end of that calendar year.

Essential Resources

Photography

Art Images