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Copyright

Q: Who can I contact for more information about the Copyright?

You can contact Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

Q: Where is the Copyright available?

The Copyright program is available across Canada.

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the Copyright?

Copyright is funded by Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Government of Canada

Last Update: March 4, 2026

Canada

Canadian services for copyright registration, search, and related resources

Other Support

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

At a glance

Funding available

Financing goals

No objectives are currently available

Eligible Funding

No Condition

Timeline

Open Date : November 14, 2019

Eligible candidates

Eligible Industries

Information and cultural industries

Location

Canada

Legal structures

Financial cooperative
Non-profit
Public or Parapublic institution
For-profit business
Sole proprietorship
Social economy enterprise
Non-financial cooperative

Annual revenue

All revenue ranges

Organisation size

All organization sizes

Audience

All groups

Non-profit candidates

Sector of operation

Culture and Arts
Business Associations
Professional Associations

Target groups

Business owners / entrepreneurs
Artists / creatives

Revenue structures

All structures

Scope

All dimensions

Overview

This is not a funding program and provides no grant amount; it is the Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s copyright service that helps individuals and businesses learn about copyright and register a copyright. Eligible activities include searching copyrights, registering a copyright (including e-filing), transferring ownership, requesting a certificate of correction, ordering documents, accessing forms, and paying applicable fees.

Activities funded

Registering a copyright in Canada.
Transferring (assigning) ownership of a copyright.
Requesting a certificate of correction for an existing copyright registration.
Searching existing copyright registrations.
Ordering documents related to copyright registrations.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 12,000

Registering copyrights for an independent music album

$ 14,000

$ 10,000

Registering copyrights for a theatre production script

$ 20,000

Copyrighting a documentary film about Canadian wildlife

$ 25,000

$ 16,000

Eligibility

Eligible expenses

Copyright registration fees
Correspondence fees with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
Electronic service fees related to copyrights

Eligible geographic areas

Canada

Selection criteria

There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant.

Evaluation based on the originality, relevance, and feasibility of the proposed project.
Selection criteria also include the applicant's qualifications, experience, and budget justification.
Additional consideration may be given to projects that demonstrate potential for significant impact or innovation.

How to apply

Prepare your application for copyright registration by ensuring your work meets the conditions set out in the Copyright Act. This includes being the author of the work and meeting citizenship or residency requirements.

Submit your application to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) along with the required fees. The application process does not involve CIPO verifying the claims made in the application.

Await the processing of your application and the issuance of a certificate of registration, which serves as evidence of copyright ownership. The certificate may be challenged in a court proceeding.

Additional information

As of December 30, 2022, the general term of copyright protection in Canada changed from 50 to 70 years after the author’s death.
This change does not affect works that were already in the public domain.
The change is linked to amendments to the Copyright Act (sanctioned in June 2022).
CIPO highlights an e-filing option that can reduce processing time (registration in 7 days).

Documents and links

Copyright

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the Copyright Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the Copyright. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.