On January 1st, the copyright expired for some records in our holdings: these are now in the public domain in Canada. These materials may now be legally reproduced and used for any purpose. Here’s a quick look at some of the images, maps, and audio recordings that have become easier to re-use.
Many maps and plans are now in the public domain. This one has elevation contour lines in the downtown peninsula overlaid on a map that shows streets and building outlines.
This is a template for taking depth soundings in the water around the BC Sugar Refining Co. It is meant to be printed using the blueprint process, which would turn the black squares into white squares, providing blank spaces to fill in the sounding data and the date taken.
Two audio recordings focused on social policy issues in the early 1970s also entered the public domain this year. The first is a recording of the second half of Sunday Magazine, a radio phone-in talk show from August 29, 1971. E. Jane Rittenhouse is a guest on the talk show hosted by Rod Booth. She answers calls about drug/alcohol/addiction/mental health issues in Vancouver and talks about the legalization of marijuana.
The second is a recording of a program about “Skid Road” in Vancouver, likely made in 1971. The program includes interviews with residents and workers in the Downtown Eastside. It is one of 998 radio programs in the Co-op Radio fonds.
This is just a small selection of the items which have recently come into the public domain.
