Copyright infringement relief: The end of the line for creators in Canada
In finding that the education and school board plaintiffs were not required to pay tariffs, the Federal Court’s decision demonstrates the absence of collective tools available to writers, artists and publishers to defend creator rights, and to protect the availability of Canadian content and focus within our nation’s classrooms, and indeed, our national culture.
Canada’s literary culture: Government inaction hollows out copyright agency
July 14, 2023 Canadian Authors Association (CAA) reacts with profound dismay to Access Copyright’s recent announcement of its forced restructuring. Access Copyright, the collective for Canadian writers, visual artists and publishers, is downsizing as a direct consequence of the disastrous 2012 amendments to the Copyright Act and the current government’s…
Selling books: The realities and the fears
Maybe fear is why it’s so hard to promote our own books. But at least we know we’re not alone.
Copyright win for U.S. literary community: a ray of hope in Canada’s bleak copyright landscape
On March 24, United States federal judge John G. Koeltl ruled that Internet Archive’s (IA’s) practice of controlled digital lending (CDL) infringed the copyright of four plaintiff publishers (Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons and Penguin Random House). In his opinion granting summary judgment to the four publishers,…
Fair remuneration, fair dealing – rebalancing the copyright equilibrium
Media Release: Canadian Authors Association April 8, 2022 – Canadian Authors Association applauds the federal government’s commitment in its recent Budget announcement “to ensur[e] that the Copyright Act protects all creators and copyright holders.” Copyright law is inherently evolving, always striving for a balance between the rights of users and…
Boost your career by entering writing contests
By Catina Noble I often hear writers talk about whether or not it is a good idea to submit to different types of contests. This includes flash fiction, short stories (fiction and non-fiction), poetry etc. Many writers like to submit in many places, thinking that if they are consistent and…
Flawed law, flawed framework: Copyright ruling
Media Release from Canadian Authors Association The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) recently issued its long and anxiously awaited decision in the York University vs. Access Copyright case, a decision creators hoped would first, reverse the Federal Court of Appeal’s 2020 ruling that Copyright Board-sanctioned tariffs are not mandatory, and second, affirm…
Are you a self-published author?
The CAA National membership committee recently made changes which might make it easier for you to qualify for professional designation. Your self-published work would qualify if it meets 4 of the 6 following criteria. The work: Must be edited by an editor qualified by professional qualifications or experience (provide the…