Generally, a copyrighted work is protected for the length of the author’s life plus another seventy years. In the case of joint works, copyright protection is granted for the length of the life of the last surviving joint author plus another 70 years. Works made for hire, as well as anonymous and pseudonymous works, are protected for a term of either 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever is shorter. Copyright duration in Canada is the creator of the works lifetime, plus 50 years from the end of the calendar year that the creator died.

On 30 September 2018, Canada, the United States and Mexico completed negotiations on a new trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Note that NAFTA will continue in effect until the USMCA is ratified in each of the three countries. You can read the text of the agreement here.

Under the USMCA, the minimum duration of copyright protection in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be life-plus-seventy. For the current time, the duration of copyright protection in Canada remains life-plus-fifty.

In addition, effective 23 June 2015, Canada extended the protection of copyright in specific works only — performances and sound recordings — by an additional 20 years to 70 years after the release date of the sound recording.

When the term of protection for a copyrighted work expires, the work enters into the public domain.