As copyright only protects original work, non-original or generic works are not protected. For example, you cannot copyright a plain calendar or ruler.
Copyright does not protect an idea or concept in the abstract. Having an idea itself is not enough; you must have expressed your idea in a fixed medium (i.e. text, recording, drawing etc) to qualify for copyright protection.
For example, you may have an idea for a board or computer game. Copyright cannot protect the idea of the game (i.e., the way the game is played). However, copyright can protect the design, text of the rules, and/or the software code.
Copyright does not protect shapes, patterns, ornamentations or configurations (or any combination of these things) as applied to a product. Copyright also does not apply to plots, characters, news or facts.
Lastly, copyright law and trademark law are two separate branches of intellectual property law. Titles, names, slogans, or other short word combinations require trademark protection and therefore do not fall under copyright protection.
To determine whether your intellectual property is best protected by copyright, trademark, or sometimes below, get in touch with our Firm for a free consultation. We offer services to clients in Ottawa, Toronto/GTA, and across Canada and abroad.
