Canadian Industry Statistics (CIS)
Definition
Information and Cultural Industries (NAICS 51)
Under this topic you will find the North American Industry Classification
System definition of the
Information and Cultural Industries (NAICS 51) sector. You can use this
definition to properly identify the segment of the industry you wish to study
further in other sections of Canadian Industry Statistics.
Definition of the Sector
This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in producing and distributing (except by wholesale and retail methods) information and cultural products. Establishments providing the means to transmit or distribute these products or providing access to equipment and expertise for processing data are also included.
The unique characteristics of information and cultural products, and of the processes involved in their production and distribution, distinguish this sector from the goods-producing and services-producing sectors.
The value of these products lies in their information, educational, cultural or entertainment content, not in the format in which they are distributed. Most of these products are protected from unlawful reproduction by copyright laws. Only those possessing the rights to these works are authorized to reproduce, alter, improve and distribute them. Acquiring and using these rights often involves significant costs.
The intangible nature of the content of information and cultural products allows for their distribution in various forms. For example, a movie can be shown at a movie theatre, on a television broadcast, through video on demand, or rented at a local video store; a sound recording can be aired on radio, embedded in multi-media products or sold at a record store; software can be bought at retail outlets or downloaded from an electronic bulletin board; a newspaper can be purchased at a newsstand or received on-line. In addition, improvements in information technology are revolutionizing the distribution of these products. The inclusion in this sector of telecommunications carriers and Internet access providers reflects the increasingly important role these establishments play in making these products accessible to the public.
The main components of this sector are the publishing industries (except exclusively on Internet), including software publishing, the motion picture and sound recording industries, the broadcasting industries (except exclusively on Internet), the telecommunications and related services industries (i.e., telephony, including VoIP; cable and satellite television distribution services; Internet access; telecommunications reselling services), data processing industries, and the other information services industries, including Internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals. There are establishments engaged in culture-related activities that are classified in other sectors of NAICS. The most important are listed below.
Exclusions
Establishments primarily engaged in:
- duplicating information or cultural products in print form, or in the form of optical or magnetic media (31-33, Manufacturing)
- wholesaling information and cultural products such as newspapers, books, software, videocassettes, DVDs and sound recordings (41, Wholesale Trade)
- retailing information and cultural products such as newspapers, books, software and sound recordings (44-45, Retail Trade)
- design activities (54, Professional, Scientific and Technical Services)
- performing in artistic productions, and in creating artistic and cultural works or productions as independent individuals (71, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation)
- preserving and exhibiting objects, sites, and natural wonders of historical, cultural and/or educational value (71, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation)
- producing live presentations that involve the performances of actors and actresses, singers, dancers, musical groups and artists, and other performing artists (71, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation)