If you’re in government, copyright applies to you
Do you work for the government? Do you copy and share excerpts from documents? Make sure you respect the Copyright Act!
When you use content
Whether you’re an elected official or an employee in a government ministry, department, agency or minister’s office, there are various ways you use copyright-protected content.
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 content you want, exactly when you need it. If you reproduce or share excerpts from copyright-protected content on a one-time basis, this is the solution for you. The cost is calculated according to the type of use and is billed immediately.
Ongoing needs
Copibec offers a reproduction rights licence to government ministries, departments and agencies.
The licence covers most of the ways content is used by employees and gives you the convenience of not having to get permission each time.
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 ministries, departments and agencies in the Quebec and federal governments, as well as many Quebec government-owned corporations, already have a licence from Copibec so their employees and elected officials can make copies legally. Refer to our licensee list to see whether you’re already covered. What if your government entity 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 for internal use or information
Copying must be done by and for the entity’s employees. However, depending on the entity’s mission, some licences also allow copies to be distributed to external users or clients.
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!