Services / Resources

Resources for artists and creators.

Helpful references for artists and creators. These are external resources, and the short summaries are general information, not legal advice.

Legislation

Copyright Act (Canada)Governs copyright and moral rights in original works.
Trademarks Act (Canada)Governs trademarks, brand names, and related rights.
Status of the Artist Act (Canada)Federal recognition of artists' professional status and of artists' associations at the federal level.
Status of Ontario's Artists Act, 2007Ontario's recognition of the status and contribution of the province's artists.
Cultural Property Export and Import Act (Canada)Controls the export of cultural property and the certification of objects of outstanding significance and national importance.

Registering and protecting your work

Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)Register copyright, trademarks, and industrial designs, and search the trademarks database.
Copyright Visual Arts (COVA, formerly CARCC)The copyright collective for professional visual and media artists, founded by CARFAC — it licenses artwork use and administers artists' copyright royalties.

Bodies and standards

Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board (CCPERB)Independent tribunal that certifies cultural property for tax purposes (its outstanding significance, national importance, and fair market value) and reviews refused export permits — relevant to authentication, valuation, and provenance of significant works.
Canada Council for the Arts — professional artistHow a professional artist is recognized, used across the arts sector.
CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee ScheduleNational recommended minimum fees for artists' work — the standard our advice and agreements are guided by.

Authentication and provenance questions are assessed case by case; the Legal FAQs page covers them in more detail, and for works of national significance the CCPERB makes formal determinations.