Using images of Canadian bills in promotional materials, or publishing "fake" bills, for an upcoming fundraiser may seem like a creative idea. However, organizations should do so with caution in light of the following:
- Infringing the Bank of Canada's copyright in the images of bank notes
The Bank requires you to obtain its
written consent before a bank-note is reproduced. Among other
things, it requires you to submit a statement on why you are
copying the image, a sketch of the proposed image, and description
of the proposed distribution of the material showing the
image.
The Bank ordinarily will impose
conditions on the reproduction, such as requiring the reproduced
image to be in black and white or only one-sided.
- Contravening the Criminal Code
Canada's Criminal Code
prohibits the publishing of anything in the printed likeness of a
current bank-note. An exception to this offence is if the
likeness of the Canadian bank note is:
- printed;
- less than ¾ or greater than 1 ½ times the length or width of the bank-note; and
- in black and white or only one-sided.
All the best in your fundraising efforts!
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.