The Parliamentary Committee on Canadian Heritage has begun a review of “Remuneration Models for Artists and Creative Industries“., in the context of the Copyright Act.
This is occurring in tandem with this year’s review of the Copyright Act by the Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
To date, members of the Canadian music industry and community have been making submissions to the Heritage committee. The media coverage has been wide for singer/musician Bryan Adams’ presentation to the committee on September 18th.
Watch recorded session on ParlVu
Adams’ attention was focused on S.14(1) of the Act:
“Limitation where author is first owner of copyright
14 (1) Where the author of a work is the first owner of the copyright therein, no assignment of the copyright and no grant of any interest therein, made by him, otherwise than by will, after June 4, 1921, is operative to vest in the assignee or grantee any rights with respect to the copyright in the work beyond the expiration of twenty-five years from the death of the author, and the reversionary interest in the copyright expectant on the termination of that period shall, on the death of the author, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, devolve on his legal representatives as part of the estate of the author, and any agreement entered into by the author as to the disposition of such reversionary interest is void.”
Adams proposed that wording be changed to have copyright more likely revert to the creator within the creator’s lifetime, rather than after death. Up until now, much of review related to the term of copyright discussed when a work enters the public domain. Bryan Adams’ testimony approaches the examination of copyright term in how it affects and addresses publishing contracts and the remuneration of creators over a lifetime.