Online Resources for Content and Information

Before using any content found at these sites ensure that you review the terms of use and follow any restrictions found in the terms of use or licensing agreements.

I. Open Access Resources

Open Access materials generally allow readers to view, download and copy the material freely for any lawful purpose. However, before using any open access materials check to see if there are any limits to the use of the content. The terms are set by the individual creator or copyright owner and can range from unrestricted use to partial access. Always check each site for work's  attribution requirements as well as the terms of use.

Books and Journals

II. Creative Commons Licensing Information

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that lets content creators license their work for distribution and other uses such as remixing. Creative Commons licences vary in scope and nature, and they allow the creator to impose certain conditions on the copying and sharing of works, such as the condition that a work cannot be distributed for commercial purposes.

Search for Images, Music, Video

Creative Commons content attribution should include:

  • Title of the work;
  • Creator’s name;
  • Source of the work (in the form of a URL to the source page);
  • Any copyright information dictated by the rights holder (a watermark, including the home page URL, etc.); and
  • The licence information along with a link back to the CC documentation page.

III.Public Domain

Some good sources for high resolution images in the public domain are listed below. Any potential copyright restrictions on use are listed so check each image before using it.

IV. Court Cases, Decisions, and Government Documents

V. Data

VI. Copyright Information

Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42 can be found on Canada's Department of Justice website.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office administers the intellectual property in Canada and disseminates Intellectual Property information. FAQs on copyright and trademarks.

Updates on recent decisions concerning the Access Copyright Interim Tariff.