Info Source: Copyright Board of Canada

Last Updated: March 13, 2024

Introduction

Info Source describes the programs and activities, and the information holdings related to programs and activities, of government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act to facilitate the right of access. It also provides individuals, including current and former employees of the Government of Canada, with relevant information to access personal information about themselves held by government institutions subject to the Privacy Act and to exercise their rights under the Privacy Act. An index of institutions that are subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act is available centrally. The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act assign overall responsibility to the President of Treasury Board (as the designated Minister) for the government-wide administration of the legislation.

General Information

  • For information on the Board’s history, please refer to the History section of the Board’s website.
  • For information on the Board’s legislative foundation, please refer to the Acts and Regulations section of the Board’s website.
  • For information on how the Board reports to Parliament, please refer to the Mandate section of the Board’s Mandate, Jurisdiction & Role website page.

Institutional Functions, Programs & Activities

Institution-Specific

The Board is responsible for approving tariffs for the following:

  • The use of musical works, sound recordings and public performances by a wide range of entities including television stations, satellite radio, online music services, hotels and restaurants;
  • The use of literary works by educational institutions and governments;
  • The retransmission of works embedded in distant television and radio signals, or the reproduction and public performance of a television and radio broadcast, by educational establishments for educational purposes; and
  • The manufacturing or importation of blank audio media for private copying purposes.

Copyright users and collectives can agree privately on royalties and related terms for the use of works in a collective’s repertoire. Should they disagree, and if requested by either party, the Board can intervene to set royalties or related terms and conditions, as per section 71 of the Copyright Act.

When the copyright owner cannot be found, the Board rules on requests for non-exclusive licences to use a work protected by copyright.

When collective societies and users of copyrights have agreed on royalties and related terms of licences for the use of works in a collective society’s repertoire, to protect the public interest and if requested to do so by the Commissioner of Competition, the Copyright Board may examine the agreements between copyright collectives and users that have been filed with the Board by either party pursuant to section 76 of the Copyright Act. The Board is also responsible for establishing the compensation to be paid by a copyright owner to a person for ceasing to perform protected acts following the accession of a country to an international treaty, notably the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, the Berne Convention, the Universal Convention, or the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, and that were not previously protected.

Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Acquisitions; Communications Services; Financial Management; Human Resources Management; Information Management; Information Technology; Legal Services; Management and Oversight Services; Material; Real Property; Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Acquisition Services involve activities undertaken to acquire a good or service to fulfil a properly completed request (including a complete and accurate definition of requirements and certification that funds are available) until entering into or amending a contract. For more information on the Board’s contracts, please refer to the Disclosure of Contracts section of the Board’s website.

Communications Services involve activities undertaken to ensure that Government of Canada communications are effectively managed, well-coordinated and responsive to the diverse information needs of the public. The communications management function ensures that the public – internal or external – receives government information, and that the views and concerns of the public are taken into account in the planning, management and evaluation of policies, programs, services and initiatives. The Board’s public-facing communications can be accessed via its social media profile, its website & mailing list.

Financial Management Services involve activities undertaken to ensure the prudent use of public resources, including planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, control and oversight, analysis, decision support and advice, and financial systems. For more information on the Board’s financial management, please refer to the Board’s GC InfoBase profile and to the Board’s Financial Reports.

Information Management Services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective information management to support program and service delivery; foster informed decision making; facilitate accountability, transparency, and collaboration; and preserve and ensure access to information and records for the benefit of present and future generations. For more information on the Board’s ATIP practices, please refer to the Transparency section of the Board’s website.

Information Technology Services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective use of information technology to support government priorities and program delivery, to increase productivity, and to enhance services to the public.

Legal Services involve activities undertaken to enable government departments and agencies to pursue policy, program and service delivery priorities and objectives within a legally sound framework.

Management and Oversight Services involve activities undertaken for determining strategic direction, and allocating resources among services and processes, as well as those activities related to analyzing exposure to risk and determining appropriate countermeasures. They ensure that the service operations and programs of the federal government comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and/or plans. For more information on the Board’s annual reporting and results, please refer to the Reports & Publications section of the Board’s website.

Material Services involve activities undertaken to ensure that material can be managed by departments in a sustainable and financially responsible manner that supports the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs.

Real Property Services involve activities undertaken to ensure real property is managed in a sustainable and financially responsible manner, throughout its life cycle, to support the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs.

Travel and Other Administrative Services include Government of Canada travel services, as well as those other internal services that do not smoothly fit with any of the internal services categories.

Classes of Personal Information

Personal information that is not used for administrative purposes or is not intended to be retrievable by personal identifiers, for example, unsolicited opinions, complaints or correspondence.

Copyright Board of Canada Information Distribution

Files are kept on individuals and organizations to whom decisions, publications and other material generated by the Copyright Board of Canada are distributed. The specific information filed comprises: name, address, telephone number and official language preference of the individual or organization, and the material that is distributed. The information pertains to individuals who have requested information and to persons involved in the field of copyright designated by the Copyright Board of Canada for receipt of decisions, publications and other material generated by the Board. This bank serves for distribution, analytical and statistical purposes. Names and records are stored electronically on permanent distribution lists which are updated as the need arises.

Copyright Board of Canada Records (CB SEC 035)

These records contain the documentation related to the processing of a tariff proposal or licence application before the Copyright Board of Canada, including all the papers, submissions, evidence and exhibits provided by the parties and intervenors before, during and after the hearing. Decisions of the Board, the reasons for the decisions, notices of any proceedings before a higher court and decisions of the higher courts and agreements between collective societies and users filed with the Board also form part of the record.

Document Types:  Proposed tariffs submitted by collective societies. Objections by users of copyrighted works administered by collective societies. Applications for arbitration, when the parties (collective society or user) are unable to agree on the royalties or the related terms and conditions. Applications for non-exclusive licences to use published works, fixed performances, published sound recordings and fixed communication signals when the copyright owner is unlocatable.

Copyright Appeal Board Records (Bank # CB PPU 020):  This bank reflects the proceedings which appeared before the former Copyright Appeal Board & contains the documentation related to the processing of any action before the former Copyright Appeal Board including all the papers, submissions, evidence and exhibits provided by the parties in the action before, during and after the hearing. Decisions of the Board, the reasons for the decisions, notices of proceedings before a higher court and decisions of higher courts also form part of the record.

  • Class of Individuals: Users of copyrighted musical works who have filed objections to proposed statements of royalties for the public performance of music, collective societies representing owners of copyright in musical works, which filed proposed statements of royalties before the Copyright Appeal Board.
  • Consistent Uses: The information in this bank may be used for reference purposes.
  • Retention and Disposal Standards: These records are retained for an indeterminate period.
  • RDA Number: To be determined
  • Related Record Number: CB SEC 035
  • TBS Registration: 003066

Letters of Comment (Bank # CB PPU 015): This bank contains the letters of comment the Board receives from the public concerning its decisions & enables the Board to measure the impact of its decisions.

  • Class of Individuals: Individuals and organizations who have addressed letters of comment to the Copyright Board of Canada.
  • Consistent Uses: The information in this bank may be used for reference purposes.
  • Retention and Disposal Standards: To be determined
  • RDA Number: To be determined
  • Related Record Number: CB SEC 035
  • TBS Registration: 003065

Manuals

Various Board reports & publications can be accessed here: Reports & Publications | Copyright Board of Canada (cb-cda.gc.ca).

To File an ATIP Request

For more information on how to file an ATIP request, please refer to the How to File a Request section of the Board’s website.

The Board’s GC InfoBase organizational data can be accessed here: GC InfoBase - Infographic for Copyright Board Canada