Copyright Policy

Purpose of the Copyright Policy
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association is committed to protecting the intellectual property of its employees, volunteers, members, contributors and other stakeholders.
During the course of various projects and activities, especially the Annual General Meeting, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association frequently gathers and stores intellectual property from its members. The purpose of the Copyright Policy is to establish clear guidelines for the protection, use, and distribution of original works and materials. It ensures that all IP stored and managed by the Canadian Orthopaedic Association is safeguarded against unauthorized use and infringement. The Policy also outlines the rights and responsibilities of both the IP creators and the Association, promoting transparency and accountability in handling copyrighted content. By doing so, it supports the ethical and legal use of intellectual property, fostering an environment of respect for creators’ rights.

Defining Intellectual Property
In the context of the Annual General Meeting, intellectual property refers to the creations of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association’s membership, such as research findings, inventions, presentations and original content presented or discussed during the meeting. This can include: research papers and presentations, inventions and discoveries, software and databases and branding and logos. Intellectual Property creators are protected by laws such as patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Defining Copyright within the framework of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association
Copyright for scientific meetings, including but not limited to, the Annual General Meeting, committee meetings, meetings with partners in person and in virtual settings is a legal protection ensuring that all original content presented, including research findings, presentations and materials is exclusively controlled by the creators. This protection prohibits unauthorized use, reproduction or distribution, in order to safeguard the intellectual property rights of the authors and presenters. All presenters are responsible to ensure that their presentations are in line with the Canadian Copyright Act and citing works appropriately.
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association controls all information we develop or publish in any format, including print and online. Requests to reproduce material for educational an advocacy purposes must be submitted to the Canadian Orthopaedic Association. The Canadian Orthopaedic Association strives to fully comply with copyright practices when developing material, by seeking necessary permissions, referencing our information and acknowledging contributions from affiliate organizations and others.

Use of logo
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association does not permit the use of its logo in print or digital material without expressed permission.

Use of external content
It is generally permissible to link to an online video, provided the video does not contain infringing content. Many videos may not have been uploaded with the copyright owner’s permission. If there are signs that this is the case, avoid linking to the video.
If parts of an online video are to be copied, permission should be obtained form the copyright owner. Under the fair dealing exception, using a short excerpt (less than 10%) may be allowed. Additionally, copying an online video or content for educational purposes may be permissible under an exception in the Canadian Copyright Act, provided the source is cited, the original is not protected by a digital lock, the original is not an infringing copy, and there is no visible notice on the original website prohibiting such use.
For more details on permitted uses of online content, refer to the platform’s Terms of Service.

Fair Dealing
Fair dealing, as defined by the Canadian Copyright Act, allows for making copies without the copyright owner’s permission for specific purposes such as research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, parody and satire.
At accredited educational events, course instructors may distribute short excerpts (~10%) of copyrighted material to attendees under the fair dealing exception. For longer excerpts, permission from the copyright owner must be obtained.

Transparency
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association is committed to maintaining transparency in our copyright practices. We ensure that all stakeholders are informed about the way copyrighted materials are used, distributed, and protected. We provide clear guidelines on how to request permissions and outline the conditions under which copyrighted content can be used. Any changes to our copyright policies will be made accessible on our website.