Policies, Regulations, Guidelines and References
In this section:
 Make sure that all publications comply with the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada. Electronic publications must also comply with Common Look and Feel for the Internet standards.
Copyright
Texts
The Crown owns the copyright of any work published by a government department, subject to any agreement to the contrary.
If you are producing a publication for which the Crown doesn’t own the copyright, the copyright should be attributed to the author or other owner on the copyright page.
If someone else’s copyrighted text is to be reproduced in a publication you are producing, you must first ensure that there are no restrictions, then clearly mention the ownership of the copyright in the publication.
The Industry Canada Style Guide for Writers and Editors provides a description of what information must appear on a copyright page as well as sample copyright pages for various kinds of publications.
Photos and Images
Photos and images are also copyright protected. Keep in mind:
- Unless the Crown requests to retain copyright for a commissioned portfolio of stock photographs, you will have to ask permission — and pay the photographer or artist — every time the photos or images are reused.
- You have to pay royalties on photos or images used from any bank unless they are “royalty-free.” The cost will depend on the nature of the final product, the number of copies and the distribution.
- If copyrighted archival photos or images appear in a document that is being reprinted, you must again obtain permission to use the copyrighted material.
For More Information
The Copyright Act applies to all Government of Canada publications.
Industry Canada’s Legal Services can give you advice on specific copyright issues.
No-Frills Publishing
Treasury Board’s Planning Information Products: Effective, No-frills Publishing Practices promotes producing publications that are economical, well-designed and environmentally sound, and that communicate effectively. It calls for the elimination of non-essential publications and for a departmental review of current practices and methods of providing information.
Considerations for print publications include:
- choosing a recycled paper;
- printing in one colour only;
- avoiding complicated folds on panel folders and kit folders;
- avoiding fancy diecutting on covers, panel folders and kit folders; and
- printing only quantities that are needed.
Considerations for electronic products include:
- user access;
- reproduction (texts, graphics, sound);
- storage capacity;
- text retrieval software;
- applicable standards; and
- links with other information sources.
Official Languages
The purpose of the Official Languages Act is to “ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada and ensure equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all federal institutions.” All federal publications must comply with the Act.
In practical terms, this means:
- publications must be produced and distributed simultaneously in both official languages;
- the texts must be of comparable quality in both languages and the message must be as clear in one language as in the other; and
- the visual presentation must be comparable, according to the logic of the language: same font and size of text characters, headings and sub-headings; and same presentation of graphical elements.
For More Information
Section 5(9) of the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Federal Identity Program Policy provides details on the legislative requirements relating to presentation and application methods.
Treasury Board’s Official Languages Policies.
Reflecting Diversity
The Communications Policy of the Government of Canada states: “institutions must ensure their publications and other communication materials depict the diverse nature of Canadian society in a fair, representative and inclusive manner.”
Publications must respect the requirements of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and take into account differences among and within the various regions of Canada.
Accessibility
Policy statement number 4 of the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada encourages “all means of communications—from traditional to new technologies—(…) to reach and communicate with Canadians wherever they may reside.” It also states that "institutions must ensure that published information is available on request in accessible formats to accommodate persons with disabilities."
This policy supports the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s position that, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act, people with disabilities have a right to information in a format they can use.
One of the most common ways to make information readily available to all Canadians is to develop accessible Web sites. Accessible Web sites
The Government of Canada is continuing its efforts to make its electronic information and on-line services accessible to all Canadians. Treasury Board Secretariat provides an extensive list of resources for ensuring Web site accessibility.
For More Information
Accessible Formats: details on the production process for accessible formats.
Manager’s Guide to Multiple Format Production: guidelines developed under the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada. Provides guidelines on how to develop and deliver accessible published government materials and contains an appendix with contact information, references, and sample format specifications.
Common Look and Feel for the Internet: for information on how these standards apply to accessible formats.
Contacts: for advice or further information on how to provide accessible formats.
Federal Identity Program and Corporate Identity
The Federal Identity Program (FIP) provides a framework for the Government of Canada's corporate identity by maintaining government-wide policies and standards for application of symbols of government. The FIP was established to project a consistent identity for all federal organizations, programs and services, and to treat both official languages equally in federal government communications. Industry Canada manages corporate identity within the FIP framework.
Corporate identity is central to the communications function. As such, corporate identity considerations must be addressed whenever the Department communicates messages to audiences, both internal and external, whether directly, in partnership with non-federal organizations, or as part of joint inititatives with other federal institutions.
For more information on the department's corporate identity, consult Industry Canada's Graphic Standards.
Depository Services Program
The Depository Services Program (DSP) is an arrangement between public and academic libraries, parliamentarians, central libraries of the federal government, press libraries, the National Library and the Library of Parliament. Its function is to house, catalogue and provide reference services for federal government publications acquired under the program.
Participation in the DSP is mandatory for most government publications. The DSP issues catalogue numbers and ISBNs, and arranges for distribution to the appropriate depositories; this is an efficient way to ensure that the principles of access are upheld.
The quantity of publications required for the DSP varies with the language, subject matter and intended audience of the publication. If Industry Canada publishes a report in very limited quantities, for a trade mission outside the country, for example, the DSP should be advised not to advertise that title in its Weekly Checklist, and you need provide only one copy of the publication.
At Industry Canada, publishers can meet the requirements of the DSP by registering their publications in the Publishing Database. As part of its cataloguing services on behalf of the Department, CMB automatically informs the DSP of all new publications registered via this channel. If necessary, CMB will then contact you to arrange for delivery of copies of your print publications to the DSP.
For guidelines on how many copies to ship to the DSP, see New Publications: Mandatory Recipients.
For additional background information on the DSP, see the program website.
Legal Deposit
Legal Deposit is the requirement for Canadian publishers to provide copies of the publications they issue to Library and Archives Canada (LAC). It allows LAC to create a comprehensive record of the nation's published heritage and development. Canadian publishers are required by law to send to LAC two copies of all books, pamphlets, serial publications, microforms, maps, spoken word sound recordings, video recordings, and electronic publications issued in physical formats (CD-ROM, CD-I, computer diskette, etc.). In addition, publishers must also provide one copy of musical sound recordings, multi-media kits and, as of January 1, 2007, online publications.
Canadian publishers include individuals, associations, federal government departments and agencies, and trade and periodical publishers of online publications that make publications available in Canada.
At Industry Canada, publishers can meet their legal deposit obligations by registering their publications in the Publishing Database. As part of its cataloguing services on behalf of the department, Communications and Marketing Branch automatically informs LAC of all new publications registered through this channel.
For more information on Legal Dep osit, see Library and Archives Canada's website.
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