Copyright and your rights

Every photo and film on this site, on my channels, and delivered to clients is protected by Canada's Copyright Act. This page explains, in plain terms, who owns the work and what you can do with it. For prices and licence options, see licensing and the booking terms.

Who owns the work

Under Canada's Copyright Act, the person who creates a photograph or video is the first owner of its copyright. I work as an independent contractor, not as anyone's employee, so I own the copyright in the photos and films I make, including work made for paying clients, unless we have signed a written agreement that says otherwise.

What you receive when you hire me

You receive a licence: written permission to use the finished work in the ways your quote and licence describe. The Standard License (credit given) and Exclusive Ownership options are explained on the licensing page and in the booking terms.

The Act requires any assignment of copyright, or grant of an interest in it, to be in writing and signed by the owner. Your quote and licence are that written record, so keep them.

Photos commissioned for personal use

If you paid me to take photos or portraits for personal or domestic purposes, the law lets you use them, and let others use them, for private or non-commercial purposes, unless we agreed otherwise. Using them for a business, a sponsor, fundraising material or advertising needs a licence.

Moral rights

Separate from copyright, I keep moral rights in my work: the right to be credited when that's reasonable, and the right to the integrity of the work. Distorting, mutilating or modifying the work, or using it with a product, service, cause or institution, in a way that harms my honour or reputation can infringe those rights.

Moral rights can't be sold or transferred. They can only be waived, in whole or in part, and buying the copyright doesn't waive them by itself.

Credits, watermarks and metadata

My name, credits, watermarks and the information embedded in my files identify me as the owner. Knowingly removing or altering that information without my consent, when it helps hide an infringement, is prohibited by the Act and carries the same remedies as infringement.

Sharing and fair dealing

Sharing my original post with the platform's share button is always welcome. Downloading my photos or videos and re-uploading them, screen-recording them, cropping out credits, or using them in ads, posters or sponsor material without a licence is not.

Canadian law allows fair dealing for research, private study, education, parody or satire. Criticism, review and news reporting are also allowed, as long as the source and my name are mentioned. Fair dealing is a narrow exception, not a general permission to reuse work.

Things I don't permit without written permission

Reselling, sublicensing or giving my work to third parties such as sponsors, media outlets or other businesses. Using my work in paid advertising beyond the licence you hold. Selling prints or merchandise made from my work. Using my work to train artificial intelligence or machine learning systems. Raw footage isn't sold or provided.

How long copyright lasts

In Canada, copyright generally lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years after the end of the year of their death.

If my work is used without permission

Most unlicensed uses are honest mistakes, and they can usually be fixed with a licence after the fact. Get in touch and we'll sort it out.

When that isn't possible, the Act lets a copyright owner choose statutory damages instead of proving actual losses. For commercial infringement a court can award $500 to $20,000 for each work. For non-commercial infringement it's $100 to $5,000 for all works together.

To license a photo or video, or to ask about a use: belinahoopermedia@gmail.com · 780-817-8919