If you’re in an association or community organization, copyright applies to you


Associations, organizations, unions and community groups in Quebec have to respect the Copyright Act when they copy and share excerpts from copyright-protected documents.

When you use content

Whether you’re an association member, director, communications officer, instructor, early childhood educator, recreation leader, advisor or have any other role, there are various ways you use content protected under the Copyright Act.

Share articles on sleep disorders with parents in a daycare

Give group participants a text about the benefits of yoga

Email monthly press reviews to the board of a non-profit

Hand out excerpts from workbooks in a Spanish course

Add charts from books to a PowerPoint presentation

Produce a compilation to pass out during a workshop

Did you know you need permission for all these types of use on paper or in digital format – and other uses as well – because they’re for professional purposes?

Our solutions are geared to your needs!

Limited needs

Get permission to use the articles or book excerpts you want, exactly when you need them. The cost is calculated according to the type of use and is billed immediately.

Ongoing needs

Copibec offers a reproduction rights licence to non-profit organizations and professional associations.

The licence covers most of the ways content is used by employees and directors.

A licence makes it easier for you to manage copyright and lets you avoid the administrative costs and delays involved in getting permission for every article or excerpt you want to use during the year.

Various non-profits and professional associations already have a licence from Copibec. Refer to our licensee list to see whether you’re already covered. What if your association or organization isn’t listed?

With a reproduction rights licence, you’re good to go

Our repertoire

The Copibec repertoire (or catalogue) includes content (books, newspapers, legislative texts and other publications) and categories of works published in Quebec, the rest of Canada and in about 30 other countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, etc.) as long as they’re not specifically mentioned in the Exclusions List.

Authorized use

Copying must be done by or for the association’s or organization’s employees and directors.

Distributing copies to members for information or training purposes may also be allowed, depending on the type of licence.

Reproduction limits

  • Up to 10% of a document

But also:

  • Entire article
  • Entire report of a legal case
  • Entire lyrics to a song
  • Chapter that is not more than 20% of the pages in a book

If you want to exceed the reproduction limits, you need to get permission.

Do you have any questions? Contact us!

What’s allowed?

Do you want to reproduce or share content? Is that type of use allowed under the Copibec licence? Here are some answers!