Welcome to the blog of the Copyright Office at UVic
The #FairDealingWeek Discussion “Keep Copyright Fair” is available for restreaming here: https://youtu.be/F6yu8OrK1xo
The original event – Feb 28th, 2019 – was hosted by McMaster University Library, featuring Paul Jones of CAUT and Dr. Carys Craig of Osgoode Hall Law School
via @jzerkee on twitter
From Simon Fraser University Library (CC-BY-NC)
Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week is an annual celebration of the doctrines of fair use and fair dealing — a perfect opportunity to reflect on what is quickly becoming a pivotal period in the history of copyright in Canada. York University has appealed the decision in its case with Access Copyright, the statutory review of the Copyright Act is still underway, and the USMCA free trade agreement promises to extend the term of copyright protection by twenty years. In this climate, building increased awareness about user rights such as fair dealing is more important than ever before.
This Fair Dealing Week, SFU, UBC, Langara, KPU, Douglas, VCC and JIBC invite you to an afternoon of presentations and discussion aimed at demonstrating the value of fair dealing in a modern Canadian context and highlighting the perspectives of diverse copyright stakeholders.
Balancing the scales: The role of fair dealing in Canada
Tuesday, February 26, 1:00 – 4:15pm at SFU Harbour Centre
This event will also be webcast at this link and recorded for those unable to attend in person.
This event will feature a panel, moderated by Michal Jaworski, former legal counsel to UBC and partner at Clark Wilson LLP, with panelists:
Devon Cooke, documentary filmmaker;
Peter Musser, YouTube creator;
Andrea Stuart, Canadian Association of University Teachers; and
Linda Valecourt, Douglas College Bookstore.
The panel discussion will be followed by a keynote presentation by Dr. Meera Nair, Copyright Officer at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, reflecting on the 15th anniversary of the 2004 Supreme Court of Canada CCH decision, a significant case addressing fair dealing.
Join us at the UVic Libraries Digital Scholarship Commons for a public screening of the documentary, “Paywall”. Everyone is welcome. There will be popcorn provided!
A public screening of the movie will be held on:
Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Time: 2-3:30pm. Panel discussion to follow the movie until 4:30pm
Where: UVic Libraries, Digital Scholarly Commons
Please register at https://paywall.eventbrite.ca 
About the film: Paywall: The Business of Scholarship is a documentary which:
Produced and directed by Jason Schmitt, Clarkson University, NY
The film is also available to stream for free here: https://paywallthemovie.com/
*re-post of UVic Scholarly Communication blog October 5, 2018*
The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), signed yesterday, agrees to extend Canada’s term of copyright, to align with the current U.S. law. We have to wait and see how this agreement will be incorporated into Canadian Copyright Law.
Read the Intellectual Property Provisions here
As reported by CBC and Michael Geist October 1, 2018
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.
Re: Copyright infringement class action by CopIbec against the University of Laval
via @kimnayyer @InbaKehoe
Since 2014, legal action has been taking place – in the form of a class action suit brought forth by Copibec, Quebec’s non-profit copyright collective, against Laval University. At issue is Laval’s choice not to renew a license agreement with Copibec, or pay tariffs, for educational use of copyrighted materials.
Some history on the case, Via Howard Knopf at Excess Copyright Nov. 17, 2014
This case has made its way through the court of appeal, and parties have reached a settlement, available on Copibec’s website. Amounts owing are in the range of $2M.
Proposal: An Open Licensing Scheme for Traditional Knowledge
This is an interesting resource put forward in 2016 by Carleton University Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre & The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. A good summary of some of the issues around Indigenous Knowledge and the intersection of “western notions of IP” and First Nations principles of OCAP. Proposes a licensing scheme based on the Creative Commons Model, but adds layers such as community consent and reciprocity.
Via Meera Nair’s Fair Duty Blog, June 25, 2018
For those following the 2018 review of the Canadian Copyright Act.
Here is Michael Geist’s commentary so far: Making Sense of the Spending
…
and part two: The Declining Value of the Access Copyright License
…
and part three: Exploring the Impact of Site Licensing at Canadian Universities
http://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/INDU
Meetings scheduled for the Standing Committee of Industry, Science and Technology this week:
Today Tuesday April 24, 2018 (CARL, CASA, CRKN, UNEQ)
and Thursday April 26, 2018,3:30pm Eastern(Writers Union, Cdn Publishers, CFLA, CIC)
both at (12:30pm PST)
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology met with stakeholders from the post-secondary education sector yesterday as part of the 2018 Copyright Act review. Representatives from Universities Canada, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, and Campus Stores Canada spoke with the committee about Indigenous knowledge, fair dealing, library consortia licensing, Access Copyright v York University, open access and public domain, among other issues.
Watch a replay here.