A number of national and international organizations join with Canadian Authors to help protect authors and authors’ rights. Here are some other organizations you should know about.
Access Copyright
Access Copyright is a collective voice of creators and publishers in Canada. A non-profit, national organization, they represent tens of thousands of Canadian writers, visual artists and publishers, and their works.
Through agreements with sister organizations around the world they also represent the works of hundreds of thousands of foreign creators and publishers. This rich repertoire of content is highly valued by educators, students, researchers, corporate employees and others who need to copy and share content.
Association of Canadian Publishers
The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) represents approximately 115 Canadian-owned and controlled book publishers from across the country. The membership is diverse and includes publishers from a variety of genres. Over 80% of Canadian-authored titles are published by the Canadian-owned sector. This means a strong Canadian-owned sector is vital to the development of new Canadian authors and writers.
Canadian Copyright Institute
The Canadian Copyright Institute (CCI) is an association of creators, producers, publishers and distributors of copyright works. Founded in 1965, the Institute has sought to encourage a better understanding of the law of copyright and to engage in and foster research and dialogue on the promotion of ideas and works of the mind. The advent of digital technologies and networks presents both extraordinary opportunities and extraordinary challenges to copyright law. CCI seeks to be at the centre of the debate about copyright in a digital world.
Copibec
Copibec is a non-profit social enterprise that belongs to the author and publisher community. They offer convenient, customized solutions that meet the needs of users of copyright-protected content, giving them access to a repertoire (catalogue) containing millions of works published here in Quebec and all around the world. Their members are Quebec groups representing the authors and publishers of books, magazines and newspapers. The Board of Directors is made up of equal numbers of directors from the author and publisher segments. In this case, the meaning of “author” should be taken in a broad sense that includes, for example, writers, visual artists and freelance contributors to magazines and newspapers.
International Authors Forum
The International Authors Forum (IAF) represents over 700,000 authors worldwide and campaigns for their interests in every country.
PEN Canada
A nonpartisan organization of writers that works with others to defend freedom of expression as a basic human right, at home and abroad. PEN Canada promotes literature, fights censorship, helps free persecuted writers from prison, and assists writers living in exile in Canada.
Writers Guild of Canada
The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) is a professional association of more than 2,200 English-language screenwriters. WGC members are the creative force behind Canada’s successful TV shows, movies, and webseries, and their work brings the diversity of Canadian life and culture to the world’s screens. The WGC supports Canadian screenwriters through negotiating and administering collective agreements with independent producers and broadcasters to ensure that screenwriters earn fair pay and benefits, and advocates for policies that foster Canadian programming and production. The WGC is also an essential professional hub for screenwriters, bringing them together as a community, and boosting their profile in the industry and beyond.
The Writers Union of Canada
The Writers’ Union of Canada is the national organization of professionally published book authors. The Union was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers.