FAQ

1. How long are licence agreements for?

The term of the licence is negotiated on a per licence basis.

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2. Do you provide exclusive licences for specific value-added products?

No, there is no exclusivity. The VAR program and its products are fully open.

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3. Is there screening criteria?

Yes, each application is screened prior to approval.

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4. How do I acquire the source materials once a licence has been granted?

In the case of a paper product, CHS will provide the necessary materials once a licence has been signed. Where digital files are required, these will be provided on behalf of CHS by our digital data distributor.

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5. Do copyright and intellectual property rights stay with CHS?

Yes, copyright and intellectual property rights remain the property of Canada. Your VAR licence does not transfer copyright, and does not authorise the sale, sub-licence, lease, and assignment of the Data, or application for any patent in relation to the Data.

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6. Are VAR products recognized under the Canada Shipping Act?

VAR products do not meet the requirements of the Canada Shipping Act Charts and Nautical Publication Regulations because they are not official products issued by CHS. VAR products must carry a disclaimer to that effect.

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7. Are VAR products recognized as official CHS products?

VAR products are not recognized as official CHS products for the purposes of navigation. Official CHS charts and publications must be used for navigation.

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8. Can I use the CHS crest on my VAR product?

No, VAR products may not include the CHS crest, the original product name or any other annotation that may be interpreted as CHS endorsement.

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9. How are royalties calculated?

Royalties are calculated based on the amount of CHS data contained in the end product or “content ratio”, multiplied by the selling price and a royalty rate of 15%

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10. Are VARs required to submit regular reports?

Yes, reports pertaining to production and sales of the VAR product are required on a regular basis.

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